iKAVtl... 


S  AND  ADVENTURES 
\PHAEL  FUMPELLY 


RED  LOCKLEY 
IE  WESTERN  BOOKS 

43  East  Stark  St. 
ITLAND.      ORE. 


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Raphael  Pumpelly  at  Forty-seven  Yeaks 
From  a  photograph  by  Mrs.  Henry  Adams,  1884 


TRAVELS  AND  ADVENTURES 

OF 

RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

MINING  ENGINEER,   GEOLOGIST, 
ARCHAEOLOGIST  and  EXPLORER 

BY 

RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 


From  the  author's  MY  REMINISCENCES, 

edited  by  O.  S.  Rice,  State  Supervisor  of 

School    Libraries,    State    Department    of 

Public  Instruction,  Wisconsin 


NEW  YORK 

HENRY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 

1920 


Fie(o 


T^i^a 


Copyright,  1920 

BY 

Henry  Holt  and  Company 


I4iac> 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 

While  reading  My  Reminiscences,  by  Raphael  Pum- 
pelly,  which  appeared  in  two  volumes  in  19 18,  I  found  it 
difficult  to  lay  the  book  down  to  attend  to  such  compara- 
tively trivial  matters  as  meals  and  sleep.     The  author's 
experiences  as  a  mining  engineer  in  Arizona  when  that 
region  was  terrorized  by  outlaw  white  men,  murderous 
'^Apaches,  and  treacherous  Mexican  peons  make  a  story 
^  -  which  vies  in  interest  with  the  most  stirring  tales  of 
''^' adventure  ever  written.     His  travels  and  adventures  in 
the  mountains  of  Corsica,  among  the  hiding  places  of 
outlaws  of  the  vendetta,  give  vivid  pictures  of  a  region 
^  and  its  primitive  people  but  little  known  to  most  readers. 
:  The  moufflon  story,  a  sequel  to  the  Corsican  experiences, 
"  is  a  most  captivating  and  unique  story  of  a  "  tame  "  wild 
animal.     Travel   and   adventure   in   Japan,   China,   and 
-  Siberia   and   early  explorations   of   the   Lake   Superior 
-'  mining  region  are  among  other  experiences  which  the 
2  author  draws  upon  for  the  story  of  his  long  and  eventful 
<  career. 

j^      On  completing  the  reading  of  the  narrative,  I  was 

V  fully  persuaded  that  an  abridged  edition  of  the  Reminis- 

:^  cences  especially  intended  for  young  people  ought  to  be 

published.     As  a  result  of  a  suggestion  made  to  the  author 

that  he  prepare  such  an  edition,  I  was  asked  if  I  would 

<^  not  be  willing  to  do  so.    Although  I  had  but  little  spare 

^  time  to  draw  upon,  I  agreed  to  the  proposition,  for  the 

^-^  reason  that  I  desired  very  much  to  see  such  an  appealing 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 

life  story  put  into  a  form  which  would  especially  attract 
young  readers. 

The  story  as  given  in  this  edition  is  in  Mr.  Pumpelly's 
own  words.  The  direct  style  and  the  short,  cumulative 
sentences  of  his  Reminiscences  made  changes  both  un- 
necessary and  inadvisable.  The  editing  has  consisted 
mainly  in  selecting  those  parts  of  the  original  work  which 
are  of  most  interest  to  young  readers,  yet  which  make  a 
connected  story.  Some  of  the  longer  chapters  have  been 
subdivided  into  two  or  more  and  a  number  of  chapter 
headings  have  been  changed.  In  a  few  instances,  short 
connecting  parts  have  been  written.  Illustrations  have 
been  added  which  give  special  emphasis  to  the  action 
of  the  narrative. 

It  is  apparent  from  the  above  that  the  story  has  not 
been  **  written  down  "  for  juvenile  readers.  They  get  it 
in  its  original,  virile  form.  For  this  reason,  the  book  will 
appeal  to  "  young  people  of  all  ages.'*  Older  people  who 
become  interested  in  this  edition  will  find  the  Reminis- 
cences of  compelling  interest  from  cover  to  cover  of  its 
two  volumes. 

O.  S.  Rice. 
Madison, 
Wisconsin, 
October  i,  1919. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    My  Childhood  and  My  First  Adven- 
tures     .     .     .     .    • 9 

II     School  Days i8 

III  I  GO  TO  Europe 22 

IV  Germany  and  France 25 

V    Italy 32 

VI    In  the  Mountains  of  Corsica     ...  39 
VII    In   the   Haunts   of   Outlaws  of  the 

Vendetta 51 

VIII    By  Donkey  to  Ajaccio 59 

IX     Chance  Determines  My  Career     .     .  67 

X     Student  Days  and  Pranks  at  Freiberg  ^2 
XI    Another  Summer  in  the  Mountains  of 

Corsica        76 

XII     My  "Tame"  Mouflon 80 

XIII  My  Mouflon  '*  Performs  "  in  Vienna   .  89 

XIV  In  Search  of  Adventure loi 

XV    Sequel  to  the  Mouflon  Story  and  Re- 
turn TO  America 106 

XVI    I  GO  TO  Arizona 112 

XVII    Life  at  the  Santa  Rita  Mines  .      .     .   120 
XVIII     Outlaws  and  Apaches  .     .     .     .     .     .   126 

XIX    The  Apache  Terror 134 

XX    A  Ride  for  Life 145 

XXI     Smelting     Ore     Under     Difficulties. 

The  Mines  Abandoned 151 

XXII    Across  the  Desert  to  Papagoria  and 

THE  Sequel 155 

XXIII     Closing  Scenes  and  Escape    ....   164 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIV    Pursued  by  Desperadoes 172 

XXV    Through  Desert  Perils 178 

XXVI    A  Plot  Discovered  in  Time.    Journey 

TO  California 189 

XXVII    I  Enter  the  Japanese  Service    .     .     .   195 
XXVIII    First    Journey    in     Yesso.    Primitive 

Mining  Methods 201 

XXIX    Second   Journey   in    Yesso.    Ainos.    I 

Teach  the  Use  of  Powder  in  Mining  209 

XXX    Shanghai 217 

XXXI    Journey  Up  the  Yantz'  Kiang  Begun  222 
XXXII    An  American  Free  Lance  Checks  the 

Taiping  Rebels 227 

XXXIII  Boat  Journey  Continued 235 

XXXIV  Cholera  Drives  Me  Northward  .     .     .  245 
XXXV    On  an  Imperial  Mission 248 

XXXVI    A  Disappointment  and  a  Journey  De- 
layed       261 

XXXVII    Along  the  Great  Wall 265 

XXXVIII    From  Peking  to  Nagasaki      ....  274 

XXXIX    On  the  Table-land  of  Central  Asia   .  278 

XL    Journey  on  the  Table-land  Continued  287 

XLI     Siberia 297 

XLII    From  Irkutsk  to  Omsk 305 

XLIII    Across  the  Ural  Mountains  .     .     .     .315 

XLIV    To  Paris  and  Homeward  Bound  .     .     .  320 

XLV    Many  Opportunities  in  My  Homeland  324 

XLVI    In  the  Wilds  of  Northern  Michigan  328 

XL VII    A  Duke  Introduced  to  '*  Democracy." 

Ventures 338 

XLVIII    I  Write  an  Account  of   My  Experi- 
ences.   More  Ventures      ....  344 
XLIX    Writing,     Research,     and     Farming. 

Census  of  Mineral  Resources     .     .  352 
L    After  Many  Years 356 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


RAPHAEL    PUMPELLY   AT    FORTY-SEVEN    YEARS.      FrOItl    a 

photograph  by  Mrs.  Henry  Adams,  1884  .    Frontispiece 

PAGE 

THE  REAL  DANGER  LAY  IN  THE  CHANCE  OF  LOSING  CON- 
TROL AND  BEING  WHIRLED  OUT  INTO  THE  RAPID 
CURRENTS 13 

THE  MOUFLON  STOOD  BETWEEN  THE  LEGS  OF  AN  IN- 
VERTED TABLE.      THE  KITCHEN  WAS  A  WRECK    .       .       85 

THE  INDIANS  YELLED  AND  FLOURISHED  LANCES  AND  BOWS    I29 

T1HE  APACHES  IN  PURSUIT  OF  RHODES 1 67 

FUJIYAMA  AND  iNOSiMA.     From  a  Japanese  sketch  .     .   196 

SHE  BEGAN   TO  HACK  AWAY  AT  THE  BAMBOO   ROPE   .    .    . 

AT  THE  TIME  POURING  FORTH  A  TORRENT  OF  ABUSE  .    239 

TEMPLE  OF  HEAVEN  AT  PEKIN 255 

ALTAR   OF   HEAVEN.     Connected  with  the   Temple   of 

Heaven  by  a  broad  causeway 257 

THE  GREAT  WALL  OF  CHINA 266 

A  ROADWAY  HOLLOWED  IN  LOESS  BY  WIND  AND  TRAFFIC. 

From  Richthofen's  China 268 

PRINCE.     CAMELEER.     Mongolian  types 281 

THE    CAMEL    DRAWING    ST.    JOHN's    CART    HAD    TURNED 

AND  FLED 29I 


CHAPTER  I 

MY  CHILDHOOD  AND  MY  FIRST 
ADVENTURES 

Fortunately  the  stork  chose  well  my  destination ;  for 
instead  of  imprisoning  me  in  the  confinement  of  a  city  he 
sought  for  me  the  free  air  of  the  country.  This  was  on 
the  8th  of  September,  1837,  in  Owego,  N.  Y.  The  valley 
of  the  Susquehanna  has,  through  hundreds  of  milleniums, 
been  cut  a  thousand  feet  deep  into  the  great  table-land 
that  stretches  from  the  Appalachian  Mountains  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  In  this  valley,  now  narrow,  now 
broad,  the  river  winds  its  way  in  graceful  curves,  now 
widened  with  slow  and  eddying  currents,  now  narrowed 
into  roaring  rapids. 

In  my  youth  this  valley  was  full  of  Indian  legendary 
interest  and  of  tales  of  the  transition  period.  The  tragic 
episode  of  the  "  Wyoming  Valley,"  famous  for  its  beauty, 
was  still  fresh  in  the  memory  of  some  of  our  family  con- 
nections who  occupied  that  valley  soon  after  the  massacre. 

My  paternal  grandfather,  after  having  served,  from 
boyhood  up,  through  all  the  French  and  Indian  colonial 
wars,  from  the  siege  of  Louisburg  to  the  end  on  the 
Heights  of  Abraham,  and  then  through  the  war  of  the 
Revolution,  moved  with  his  family  to  what  is  now  Danby 
near  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  after  his  oldest  son,  James,  had  spied 
out  the  land.  There  were  four  brothers  among  the 
children.  They  were  surveyors,  and  my  exploring 
tendencies  are  thus  easily  accounted  for.     My  uncles  took 


10  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

part  in  defining  the  boundary  between  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  as  well  as  surveying  the  several  large  pa- 
tents derived  from  the  Indians  and  from  the  Connecticut 
Grant. 

In  time  my  father  and  his  brother  owned  large  tracts 
of  land,  then  forest-covered  and  abounding  in  great  white 
pine.  They  built  lumbering  camps  and  mills,  made  roads 
for  hauling  logs  to  the  mills  and  timber  to  the  river, 
where  it  was  built  into  rafts  and  "  arks  "  to  be  floated  to 
the  coast. 

At  the  time  of  my  birth  the  village  of  Owego  was 
already  about  forty-five  years  old.  It  lay  along  the  shore 
of  the  river.  The  inhabitants  were,  nearly  all  of  them, 
original  settlers  who  had  come  from  Connecticut,  some  of 
them  from  the  prominent  colonial  families  of  that  state. 
They  brought  with  them  the  religious  and  educational 
traditions  of  New  England.  They  had  had  their  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  and  in  the  farm  life  of  their  youth. 
Few  of  them  had  been  through  college,  but  nearly  all 
had  the  essentials  of  the  education  of  the  time,  and  some 
knowledge  of  the  English  classics,  and  they  read  and 
digested  the  few  solid  books  they  possessed. 

This  community  early  established  the  Owego  Academy, 
an  excellent  school  preparatory  for  college  and  taught  by 
able  teachers,  though  I  must  add  from  experience  that 
their  rods  and  rulers  seemed  unnecessarily  hard  and 
stinging.  Out  of  this  Academy  have  come  a  number  of 
men  who  have  shown  ability  in  various  directions  as 
lawyers  or  justices  of  the  State  Supreme  Court  or  as 
college  professors,  and  one  member  of  the  President's 
Cabinet.  Of  the  two  Rockefeller  brothers,  part  of  whose 
youth  was  passed  near  Owego,  William  was  a  pupil  in 
the  Academy  after  my  time. 

My  father  was  blonde,  standing  erect  six  feet  two.    He 


MY  CHILDHOOD  11 

was  a  man  of  noble  features  and  fine  presence,  of  equable 
and  kindly  temperament,  and  with  broad  sympathies.  In 
selling  lands  for  farms  he  never  foreclosed  a  mortgage 
nor  ejected  a  tenant,  but  helped  his  debtors  when  pressed 
by  others.  He  had  a  comfortable  fortune,  for  that  time, 
even  after  diminishing  his  means  in  making  up  the  deficit 
caused  by  an  unauthorized  loan  made  to  a  railroad  pro- 
moter by  the  cashier  of  the  bank  of  which  he  was  presi- 
dent. He  gave  freely  to  church  and  missions  and  public 
purposes.  In  religion  he  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Bible,  and  although  a  Presbyterian,  he 
had  no  bigotry  of  sect  but  was  a  thoroughly  consistent 
Christian. 

My  mother  was  of  medium  stature,  erect  and  energetic, 
and  affectionate,  and  artistic  in  temperament.  Carrying 
in  herself,  from  mother  and  father,  through  intermar- 
riages, double  and  treble  strains  of  inheritance  from  most 
of  the  ruling  families  of  colonial  Connecticut,  she  was 
quietly  proud  of  her  descent.  In  the  matter  of  manners 
and  bearing  she  required  much  from  us,  but  not  to  the 
extent  that  had  been  demanded  by  her  parents  in  whose 
presence  their  children  did  not  sit  until  told  to  do  so. 
She  was  sent  to  Mr.  Jourdan's  school  in  Philadelphia. 
Later  she  had  some  instruction  in  painting  from  a  neigh- 
bor —  an  emigre  from  the  French  revolution  —  and  some 
hints  from  Catlin  who  visited  her  father  at  Tioga  Point. 
The  portrait  painter  Le  Clear  told  me  that  my  mother 
gave  him  his  first  instruction  in  painting. 

During  several  years  of  my  boyhood  my  mother  was 
almost  out  of  my  life,  owing  to  her  ill  health  and  a  long 
siege  of  nervous  prostration.  I  then  learned  to  step 
lightly,  speak  low,  and  close  doors  noiselessly,  traits  that 
were  so  deeply  impressed  on  me  that  they  unconsciously 
control  me  still. 


12  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

When  I  was  about  four  years  old  there  came  an  ex- 
perience that  put  me  at  a  disadvantage  with  other  boys. 
I  was  standing  on  a  timber  raft  that  was  moored  to  the 
shore  in  an  eddy  of  deep  water.  My  brother,  thinking 
to  teach  me  to  swim,  suddenly  threw  me  into  the  river, 
where  instead  of  swimming  I  sank.  Fortunately  the  cur- 
rent carried  me  through  to  the  other  side  of  the  big 
raft  before  I  came  up.  I  sank  twice  before  they  could 
rescue  me. 

This  was  my  second  escape  from  drowning,  and  the 
impression  caused  by  the  shock  was  an  indelible  fear  of 
water  beyond  my  depth.  As  I  grew  older  I  learned  to 
swim  in  shallow  water,  but  the  instant  the  question  of 
depth  arose,  I  would  sink  like  a  stone.  Only  after  I  was 
forty  did  I  risk  myself  beyond  my  depth,  and  that  was 
under  a  challenge. 

As  an  offset,  not  liking  to  be  thought  cowardly,  I  made 
a  point  of  challenging  boys  to  follow  me  in  dangerous 
"  stunts."  When  they  laughed  at  me  because  I  couldn't 
skate,  I  would  run  over  thin  or  rotten  ice  where  they 
dared  not  follow ;  or  if  it  was  in  swimming  I  would  shoot 
a  dam  on  a  plank;  or  dare  them  follow  me  up  a  danger- 
ous cliff  supposed  to  be  inhabited  by  rattlesnakes.  My 
most  daring  challenge  was  to  navigate,  as  I  did,  the  river 
in  flood  time  on  a  cake  of  ice;  it  found  no  takers,  and 
twice  nearly  finished  me.  When  the  ice  on  the  river  was 
broken  up  by  the  great  spring  flood,  large  cakes  ten  or 
fifteen  feet  square  would  tarry  along  the  shore  of  an 
eddy.  The  stunt  was  to  shove  the  cake  loose  and  float 
with  it  downstream,  steering  it  near  the  shore  with  a 
stout  pole.  Because  it  would  break  into  smaller  and 
smaller  pieces,  one  had  to  try  to  keep  always  on  the 
largest  piece,  and  be  ready  to  jump  to  the  bank  when  the 
danger  point  came.     The  real  danger  lay  in  the  chance  of 


Ml 


^%^^J 


The  Real  Danger  Lay  in  the  Chance  of  Losing  Control,  and 
Being  Whirled  Out  Into  the  Rapid  Currents. 


13 


14  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

losing  control,  and  being  whirled  out  into  the  rapid  cur- 
rent. This  happened  to  me  once.  I  saw  a  half-mile 
ahead  of  me,  and  beyond  the  bridge,  a  ferry  boat  worked 
by  a  rope  and  pulley  running  on  a  cable  stretched  across 
the  river.  (The  upper  works  of  the  bridge  had  been 
carried  away.)  I  had  been  seen,  and  I  hoped  the  pilot 
would  try  to  intercept  me,  and  that  my  cake  of  ice  would 
hold  together.  But  I  saw  also  that  great  cakes  ahead  of 
mine  were  breaking  up  against  the  piers  of  the  bridge 
which  lay  between  me  and  the  boat.  The  water  was  very 
deep,  and  I  could  use  my  pole  only  in  pushing  against 
such  large  pieces  as  I  could  reach.  As  it  was,  my  cake 
just  rubbed  against  the  edge  of  the  ice  that  was  crushing 
against  the  pier,  and  this  touch  sent  my  cake  through, 
whirling  round  and  round,  and  heading  for  the  boat. 
The  pilot  managed  so  that  another  man  caught  me  from 
the  ice  as  it  rushed  by. 

In  such  ways  I  "  saved  my  face,"  not  without  much 
anxiety  however  on  my  own  part.  As  I  look  upon  life 
as  a  continuous  course  of  learning,  I  look  back  on  this 
bravado  as  a  most  valuable  part  of  my  education;  it 
taught  quickness  of  perception,  the  instant  cooperation 
in  emergencies  of  brain,  eyes,  hands,  and  feet,  and  that 
balance  between  caution  and  action  that  forms  a  basis  of 
judgment. 

I  am  sorry  to  have  to  record  that  I  was  quite  wrongly 
supposed  to  be  a  "  good  boy."  The  truth  seems  to  have 
*'  leaked  out "  early,  however.  I  once  met,  in  the  West, 
an  old  lady  who  had  lived  near  us  in  my  youth.  She 
told  me  that  when  I  was  four  years  old  she  heard  my 
father  say  to  me :  "  I'm  afraid  my  little  boy  doesn't  love 
Sunday." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  do,  papa,"  I  answered. 


MY  CHILDHOOD  15 

"  I'm  so  glad  you  do,  now  tell  me  why  you  love  it." 
"  Because  it  goes  away  Monday  morning." 
At  least  in  one  way,  Sunday  had  benefited  me:  for  I 
was  thrown  back  on  the  Bible  for  my  only  reading.  We 
had  one  in  many  volumes  with  copious  commentaries,  all 
of  which  I  read  through  three  times,  though  there  was  of 
course  much  that  I  did  not  understand. 

We  had  also  some  books  on  Mythology,  in  which  I 
browsed  —  when  my  dear  mother  was  absent  —  for  they 
were  forbidden  fruit.  But  my  greatest  delight  was  in 
Rollings  Ancient  History. 

When  I  was  about  eight  years  old,  my  mother  read 
aloud  to  us  Hugh  Miller's  "Old  Red  Sandstone."  It 
interested  me,  and  I  began  to  look  for  fossils  among  the 
rocks  of  the  cliffs  of  our  valley,  where  I  had  seen  things 
that  aroused  my  curiosity.  They  were  there  in  abun- 
dance, and  they  were  soon  too  numerous  in  our  house  for 
general  comfort.  This  too  had  an  influence  on  my  later 
life. 

There  was  a  small  group  of  boys,  seven  or  eight  years 
old,  who  were  inclined  to  follow  my  lead.  We  had 
absorbed  Indian  stories,  and  at  first  these  gave  the  stag- 
ing for  our  pastimes,  but  when  we  came  into  possession 
of  "The  Pirates'  Own  Book"  the  Indian  performances 
seemed  tame,  and  we  were  launched  on  a  downward 
career.  We  found  caves  where  we  met  and  consumed  the 
booty,  which  at  first  consisted  of  the  product  of  raids  on 
the  home  pantries ;  we  even  learned  to  make  the  necessary 
keys.  Before  long  our  feasts  included  fruit  and  green 
corn  from  the  fields  of  unrelated  owners.  Then  we  ap- 
propriated cider  and  wine.  In  time  we  borrowed  boats, 
and  later  actually  took  permanent  possession  of  one  which 
we  succeeded  in  hiding.     This   not  only  widened  our 


16  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

range  of  operations,  but  also  gave  them  the  final  stamp  of 
piracy.  We  had  the  conventional  quarrels  in  division  of 
spoils,  and  I  still  bear  the  scar  of  a  stab  in  my  leg. 

This  outlawry  had  continued  for  a  long  time  apparently 
unsuspected  from  the  outside.  Our  frequent  absences 
from  school,  as  well  as  growing  reckless  conduct  during 
school  hours,  resulted  in  more  frequent  whippings,  and, 
doubtless,  judging  from  the  rush  of  blood  to  his  face, 
much  disturbance  of  the  nervous  and  digestive  condition 
of  the  headmaster ;  I  have  now  a  profound  sympathy  for 
him :  for  he  was  otherwise  an  excellent  teacher. 

But  the  end  came  suddenly  and  effectually.  One  day 
on  coming  to  school,  I  met  the  headmaster  on  the  stairs. 
He  stopped  me  and  pulled  from  my  pocket  a  small  bottle 
of  port  wine.  Being  caught,  and  angered  at  the  loss,  and 
knowing  that  an  extra  hard  ordeal  was  sure  to  come, 
I  determined  to  get  full  value,  and  made  a  bonfire  of 
papers  under  my  desk.  Memory  feels  still  the  sting  of 
the  penalty. 

The  climax  followed  quickly.  I  was  found  out  in 
something  really  bad,  something  that  under  the  law  would 
have  meant  the  juvenile  court,  had  one  existed  then. 

Most  fortunately  my  dear  mother  was  equal  to  the 
occasion.  She  took  me  to  her  room,  and  there  talked  to 
me  quietly,  dispassionately,  logically.  After  getting  a 
full  confession  of  the  whole  downward  career,  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  she  developed  clearly  to  me  the  whole 
tendency  of  my  course,  in  its  relation  to  crime  and  dis- 
grace, and  to  the  dishonor  of  the  untainted  family  name. 
Then,  for  the  first  time,  I  realized :  before  the  only  thing 
of  importance  had  been  not  to  be  found  out.  Now  I 
received  a  clear  and  startling  conception  both  of  the 
ethical  and  personal  bearing  of  my  conduct.  When  my 
mother  saw  how  thoroughly  I  understood,  how  deeply  the 


MY  CHILDHOOD  17 

impression  was  stamped,  and  my  repentance,  having  got 
my  acknowledgment  that  I  deserved  severe  punishment, 
she  gave  me  a  sound  thrashing,  which  I  bore  throughout 
with  the  feeling  that  it  was  doing  me  good. 

My  mother's  talk  with  me  sank  deep  into  my  soul;  it 
made  me  morbidly  sensitive  for  a  long  time,  but  the  im- 
pression remained  through  life. 


CHAPTER  II 
SCHOOL  DAYS 

It  was  decided  to  send  me  away  to  a  boarding  school. 
My  sister  had  married  and  as  her  husband's  brother  — 
a  boy  of  about  my  age  —  was  at  Mr.  Harris's  school  at 
White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  that  was  to  be  my  destination. 

The  Erie  railroad  had  already  been  built  as  far  as 
Owego  and  beyond,  and  over  this,  an  all-day  journey 
through  the  outer  world  brought  my  mother  and  me  to 
New  York,  and  to  new  wonders  for  the  country  boy. 
We  remained  in  the  city  a  few  days. 

When  we  reached  White  Plains,  my  mother  left  a  very 
homesick  boy  and  a  large  hamper  of  cakes  and  marma- 
lades. 

It  was  a  small  school  —  about  thirty  pupils  —  and 
somewhat  exclusive,  the  boys  coming  largely  from  old 
city  families.  There  were  extensive  grounds,  including 
a  large  grove.  Being  on  high  ground,  it  looked  over  a 
large  extent  of  surrounding  country. 

The  years  at  this  school  were  happy  ones,  and  they 
were  in  all  respects  the  healthiest  in  my  school  life.  We 
had  our  fights,  in  one  of  which  my  opponent  won  by 
hurling  a  broken  tin  cup  which  cut  through  an  eyelid 
leaving  it  attached  at  both  ends,  and  having  to  be  stitched 
into  place. 

I  liked  my  studies,  but,  although  the  annual  report  to 
my  father  gave  me  high  marks,  I  was  behind  the  best  of 

the  pupils. 

18 


SCHOOL  DAYS  19 

One  of  the  assistant  teachers  sometimes  went  with  us 
on  excursions  or  to  bathe  in  the  Bronx.  He  knew  some- 
thing of  geology,  and,  although  there  were  no  fossiliferous 
rocks,  I  learned  to  recognize  a  number  of  minerals  and 
rocks  which  were  composed  of  them,  which  increased  an 
interest  already  begun  at  home. 

I  find  from  some  letters  of  the  time  that  I  was  bent  on 
going  to  sea,  and  wanted  above  all  to  get  into  the  expedi- 
tion Commodore  Perry  was  to  make  to  Japan.  My  let- 
ters showed  such  determination  that  my  brother  —  eleven 
years  my  elder  —  was  sent  to  dissuade  me.  When  that 
failed  to  move  me  I  was  told  that  if  I  would  wait  till  I 
should  be  ready  for  college,  my  brother  and  I  should  go 
to  Australia;  and  to  this  I  agreed.  I  remembered  the 
widespread  excitement  caused  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  and  with  what  intense  interest  I  watched  all 
the  preparations  making  by  a  group  of  young  men  who 
were  among  the  first  to  start  after  the  news  reached  the 
East. 

At  last  the  time  had  come  for  me  to  prepare  for  col- 
lege. All  my  mother's  forbears  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, and  my  brother  as  well  as  my  cousins,  on  both  sides, 
had  graduated,  most  of  them,  at  Yale.  So  I  was  sent 
to  Mr.  William  Russell's  "  Collegiate  and  Commercial  In- 
stitute "  at  New  Haven.  Soon  after,  he  was  made 
adjutant  general  of  the  state,  and  the  school  became 
known  as  General  Russell's,  and  later  very  widely  known 
from  the  officers  it  contributed  to  the  Civil  War. 

Besides  the  ordinary  curriculum  of  studies  preparing 
for  college,  we  had  military  drill.  I  think  this  occurred 
every  day;  and  it  was  very  thorough.  It  certainly  was 
an  efficient  factor  in  my  education,  and  one  that  should 
exist,  during  several  years,  in  the  school  life  of  every 
boy. 


20  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

I  look  back  with  pleasant  memory  on  those  years. 
There  were  some  adventures  sufficiently  thrilling  on  land 
and  water.  Once  we  were  out  all  night  without  compass 
or  chart,  drifting  in  a  dense  fog  on  the  Sound.  Another 
time,  as  Dunham  and  I  stood  looking  up  at  West  Rock 
which  then  ended  in  a  real  cliff  of  basaltic  columns, 
Dunham  said :  "  That's  a  place  that  I  bet  even  you  can't 
climb."  It  did  seem  impossible,  but  I  didn't  like  the  way 
Dunham  put  it,  and  I  accepted  the  challenge. 

The  next  Saturday  we  were  there  soon  after  the  noon 
dinner.  I  looked  long  to  find  the  best  way  up,  but  the 
longer  I  looked,  the  more  there  seemed  not  to  be  any 
way.  There  did  seem  to  be  a  bare  possibility  of  reaching 
a  niche  not  far  below  the  top,  and  I  decided  to  try  for 
the  niche,  and  then  trust  to  luck.  The  approach  to  the 
cliff  was  up  a  talus  of  broken  columns.  The  cliff  itself 
was  of  columnar  basalt ;  the  columns,  writing  from  mem- 
ory, were  four  to  six  inches  in  diameter,  cross-jointed 
with  cracks,  and  much  broken.  The  only  foothold  was 
on  the  tops  of  broken  columns,  and  the  piece  stepped  on 
was  often  loose  and  ready  to  fall,  and  many  did  fall  as 
I  left  them.  The  climbing  was  very  dangerous,  and  only 
practicable  by  never  advancing  without  having  a  sure 
hold  with  at  least  one  foot  and  one  hand.  Slow  and  care- 
ful work  brought  me,  however,  to  the  niche,  though  at 
almost  every  step  I  really  regretted  having  accepted  the 
challenge. 

After  a  rest,  an  anxious  survey  of  the  possibilities 
showed  the  top  to  be  overhanging,  and  no  way  of  reaching 
it  by  climbing.  I  looked  far  down  over  the  way  I  had 
climbed,  and  I  remembered  that  it  was  possible  to  go 
up  where  one  could  not  get  down.  The  prospect  was  de- 
cidedly unpleasant.  The  afternoon  was  well  advanced, 
and  a  crowd  of  quarry  men  were  wildly  shouting  and 


SCHOOL  DAYS  21 

gesticulating   far  below,   which  did  not  encourage  me. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  try  to  descend.  Once 
started  I  should  surely  reach  the  bottom  either  sound  or 
in  connected  pieces.  So  I  threw  my  shoes  down ;  I  might 
want  them  again.  The  descent  was  much  slower  and 
'more  difficult  and  anxious  than  the  climb.  It  required 
very  careful  feeling  for  foothold,  first  on  one  rock,  then 
on  another  as  the  first  one  gave  way  and  tumbled  down 
the  face  of  the  cliff.  The  bottom  was  reached  however 
before  dark.  I  think  Dunham  was  more  wrought  upon 
by  anxiety  than  I  was  by  that  and  fatigue.  He  wept,  and 
the  crowd  scolded  and  praised  me. 

It  was  a  foolhardy  adventure,  but  it  was  a  valuable 
incident  in  education  which,  several  years  later,  carried 
me  through  some  difficult  mountain  episodes  in  Corsica; 
and  I  could  not  have  got  down  safely  without  my  earlier 
experiences  in  climbing  as  a  small  boy. 

During  one  of  our  early  morning  readings,  in  the 
spring  of  1854,  Dunham  said: 

"  Pompey  '* —  that  was  the  name  all  my  Pumpelly 
cousins  and  my  brother  bore  through  school  and  college, 
and  which  descended  to  me  — "  Pompey,  I've  made  up 
my  mind  not  to  go  to  Yale,  but  to  finish  my  studies  in 
Germany." 

Dunham  and  I  were  the  closest  of  friends,  I  loved  him 
as  a  brother,  and  my  first  thought  was  one  of  grief  at  the 
parting. 

This  casual  announcement  decided  my  future;  I  too 
would  not  try  for  Yale  —  if  I  too  might  go  to  Germany  to 
study. 


CHAPTER  III 
I  GO  TO  EUROPE 

On  my  way  home,  on  leaving  New  Haven,  I  met  my 
mother  at  my  sister's  house,  which  her  husband  had 
bought,  just  above  32nd  Street  on  Fifth  Avenue. 

Here,  choosing  the  proper  moment,  I  put  out  a  feeler 
in  the  matter  of  studying  in  Germany  instead  of  going  to 
Yale.  My  mother's  silence  left  me  in  doubt,  but  the 
next  morning  she  kissed  me  and  said :  **  We  will  go,  let 
me  arrange  it."  I  knew  my  mother,  and  that  it  was 
settled ;  my  father  would  consent ;  and  when  we  reached 
home,  he  accepted  the  plan. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  we  boarded  the  half-clipper  ship 
Donau,  Captain  Heydtmann,  bound  for  Hamburg.  As 
we  bade  good-by  to  my  dear  father,  who  had  come  to 
see  us  ofiF,  and  watched  him  from  the  receding  ship,  I 
felt  for  the  first  time,  what  it  must  mean  to  his  deeply 
affectionate  nature  to  have  us  leave  him  alone,  long  sepa- 
rated from  us  by  time  and  distance.  I  do  not  know  that 
he  had  at  any  time  raised  any  objection  to  the  plan. 

After  two  days  of  seasickness,  the  voyage  was  delight- 
ful. The  captain  was  very  agreeable,  and  so  were  the 
few  passengers  of  whom  one.  Dr.  J.  F.  Noyes,  became  a 
life-long  friend.  If  there  was  any  defect  in  the  cooking, 
the  sea  appetite  made  it  good.  The  air  was  so  refreshing 
that  I  took  my  blankets  and  a  waterproof  up  every  night 
and  slept  on  the  hard  deck.  We  entered  the  Elbe  June 
twentieth,  fifteen  and  a  half  days  from  New  York  — 

22 


I  GO  TO  EUROPE  23 

though  it  may  have  been  counted  from  Sandy  Hook. 
The  same  vessel  had  made  the  previous  trip  in  fifteen 
days. 

Our  introduction  to  Europe  was  not  in  arriving  among 
the  distractions  of  a  harbor,  but  in  sailing  up  the  river 
Elbe,  greeted  by  the  fragrance  of  newly  mowed  grass, 
wafted  in  the  air  from  the  broad,  smiling  meadows  that 
spread  back  from  each  shore. 

As  soon  as  we  reached  still  water,  a  dance  was  started 
on  the  deck,  and  then  there  appeared  a  passenger  not 
seen  before  —  a  German  lady  at  least  seventy  years  old, 
who  had  not  left  her  berth  during  the  voyage,  but  now 
danced  as  lively  as  the  others. 

We  arrived  at  Hamburg  without  having  formed  any 
definite  plans  for  the  future,  excepting  that  the  first  step 
should  be  to  learn  the  German  language.  For  this  we 
went  at  once  to  Hanover,  where  it  was  supposed  to  be 
spoken  with  the  best  accent. 

Soon  after  arriving  in  Hanover  I  engaged  a  riding- 
master.  I  had  ridden  a  great  deal  on  my  father's  horses, 
and  had  a  good  seat,  but  the  instruction  in  the  Continental 
Military  School  of  Horsemanship  then  received  has  al- 
ways since  been  of  great  use  to  me. 

I  had  also,  soon  after  arriving,  engaged  a  sword  mas- 
ter, and  throughout  my  stay  in  Hanover,  I  practised  with 
the  foils  and  saber,  and  for  some  time  with  the  palash. 
The  latter  is  a  long,  heavy  blade  used  with  both  hands, 
chiefly  in  heavy  downward  strokes.  The  protection  for 
the  head  was  a  strong,  rather  heavy,  iron  basket,  thickly 
padded  inside,  which  deadened  the  effect  of  very  heavy 
blows.  There  was  a  young  Englishman  with  whom  I 
had  practised  a  great  deal  with  the  palash,  giving  and 
taking  at  times  severe  strokes  on  the  head.  One  day, 
after  failing  to  parry  a  moderate  stroke,  he  staggered 


24  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

back  evidently  in  pain.  On  removing  the  head-piece,  we 
found  that  the  padding  had  become  displaced  enough  to 
leave  the  top  of  his  head  unprotected.  He  made  light  of 
it  however,  and  I  went  home  with  him  and  sent  for  a 
physician,  but  he  died  that  night.  I  never  used  the  palash 
again.  To  add  to  the  pathos  of  the  tragedy,  the  boy's 
mother  wrote  that  she  received  at  the  same  time  word  of 
the  death  of  her  only  other  child  in  the  battle  of  Inkerman 
in  the  Crimea. 


CHAPTER  IV 
GERMANY  AND  FRANCE 

After  a  journey  to  Dresden  and  Prague  my  mother 
and  I  returned  to  Hanover.  There  we  had  apartments 
with  some  interesting  people,  Mrs.  Bertram  and  her  five 
attractive  and  well-educated  daughters. 

One  evening  the  Bertrams  sent  for  a  fortune  teller  — 
an  old  woman.  After  telling  me  that  I  had  before  me  a 
long  voyage  by  sea,  and  still  another  and  longer  one  also 
by  sea,  and  journeys  through  dangerous  lands,  she  added 
that  the  dangers  she  foresaw  were  from  the  people  I 
should  have  with  me,  and  that  I  should  never  let  them  go 
behind  me.  Soon  after  this,  I  went  off  for  a  few  hours' 
shooting  with  my  sword  master.  We  went  farther  than 
intended,  and  were  away  till  midnight,  when  I  found  my 
mother  in  a  most  anxious  condition.  The  six  women 
had  recalled  the  fortune-teller's  prophecies,  and  suggested 
doubts  as  to  the  character  of  the  sword  master,  till  my 
mother,  though  quite  an  unbeliever  in  the  fortune  telling, 
had  become  very  nervous.  In  itself  the  incident  is  noth- 
ing, although  I  did  later  make  the  predicted  great  sea 
voyages,  and  travel  in  many  dangerous  lands.  It  had 
however  a  serious  side,  for,  ever  afterwards,  first  in  my 
travels  in  the  mountains  of  Corsica,  and  later  in  Arizona 
and  in  China,  I  was  always  cautious  as  to  conditions  in 
the  rear,  and  elsewhere,  though  not  from  any  super- 
stitious reason.  I  am  convinced  that  it  was  this  that  car- 
ried me  safely  through  more  than  one  series  of  dangers. 

I  now  daily  attended  as  many  lectures  at  the  Poly- 

25 


26  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

technic  Institute  as  possible,  without  reference  to  sub- 
jects, and  took  notes,  as  well  as  I  could,  all  for  the  sake 
of  getting  a  habit  for  future  use,  and  for  the  language 
by  ear.  I  gathered  together  some  simple  chemical  ap- 
paratus and  reagents,  and  tried  to  do  things  with  them, 
quite  blindly:  for  I  had  not  the  slightest  knowledge  be- 
yond the  names  on  the  bottles.  Of  course  I  learned  very 
little,  and,  incidentally,  only  the  fact  that  I  hadn't  hap- 
pened to  get  together  two  or  three  of  the  necessary  reag- 
ents, doubtless  saved  me  from  being  my  own  fool-killer. 

I  soon  found  a  field  of  wider  interest.  In  a  second- 
hand bookstore,  looking  for  an  Italian  grammar,  I  hap- 
pened on  an  old  German  translation  of  Beudant's 
Geology.  In  the  first  part  it  treated  of  the  physical  char- 
acteristics of  rocks.  Reading  dry  descriptions  was  not 
at  all  encouraging:  so  I  collected  cobbles  on  my  excur- 
sions, and  tried,  often  not  in  vain,  to  identify  them.  Fur- 
ther within  the  book,  came  the  fossils  characteristic  of 
the  successive  formations  and  geological  periods;  and 
the  fossils  were  pictured.  There  wxre  some  quarries  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Hanover,  and  there,  to  my  great  de- 
light, I  found  some  petrifactions  which  I  thought  I  could 
closely  identify,  and  so  know  the  geological  period  the 
rocks  belonged  to.  My  excursions  on  foot  soon  extended 
further  a-field  to  include  the  Deist er  Mountains,  where 
in  several  quarries  I  reaped  rich  harvests  of  ammonites, 
crinoids,  etc. 

From  a  two  or  three  days'  excursion  I  would  reach 
home,  a  very  tired  boy,  staggering  under  a  load  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  pounds  of  fossils. 

Learning  that  there  was  a  geologist  at  Hildesheim,  I 
made  bold  to  go  there  to  see  his  collection  of  fossils, 
never  having  seen  one  before.  He  was  Von  Roemer,  an 
eminent  paleontologist  of  the  time,  and  he  received  me 


GERMANY  AND  FRANCE  27 

very  kindly,  showing  me  drawer  after  drawer  full  of  fine 
specimens  of  forms  ranging  through  all  the  geological 
periods.  When  he  saw  that  I  recognized  here  and  there 
a  fossil  from  the  rocks  of  Hanover,  he  felt  in  me  the 
interest  that  a  really  great  man  does  in  helping  the  young 
beginner.  During  two  or  three  hours  he  outlined,  in  a 
manner  adapted  to  my  understanding,  the  broad  outlines 
of  geological  history,  and,  in  a  general  way,  the  changes 
from  certain  older  forms  to  younger  ones  in  successive 
formations,  and  their  interrelationships.  Then  he  in- 
vited me  to  stay  to  dinner. 

Professor  Von  Roemer  was  a  member  of  Parliament, 
hence  I  saw  him  often  in  Hanover  and  on  one  occasion 
he  took  me  with  him  on  a  geological  excursion  of  several 
days'  duration. 

During  the  month  of  May,  wonderfully  beautiful  that 
year,  I  tramped  up  and  down  the  valley  of  the  Rhine, 
and  into  the  interior  on  each  side.  To  my  young  im- 
agination that  month  was  a  delight.  The  valley  was  as 
yet  untouched  by  the  wand  of  modern  industrial  desecra- 
tion, the  air  was  still  pure,  the  sky  serene,  and  the  castles 
crowning  the  hills  were  still  real  moss  and  plant  clothed 
ruins. 

Who  can  describe  the  effect  of  it  all  on  the  impression- 
able imagination  of  a  boy  fresh  from  a  new  land;  the 
charm  of  the  ever-varying  scenery,  the  vine-clad  slopes, 
the  echoing  cliffs  of  the  Siebengebirge,  the  castles,  the 
Lorelei-haunted  Drachenfels,  and  the  romance  and  legends 
of  the  past. 

Then  to  me  there  was  another  interest  which  seemed  to 
intertwine  itself  with  the  romance  and  poetry  of  the 
region.  Here  for  the  first  time  I  came  in  contact  with 
eruptive  rocks.  Truly  I  was  entering,  though  gropingly, 
into  geology  through  the  gate  of  romance. 


28  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Bon  Coeur,  my  Newfoundland  dog,  was  always  with 
me,  sleeping  on  or  near  my  bed  at  night,  and  tramping 
alongside  by  day.  Admired  by  all,  he  introduced  his 
master  to  many,  so  that  I  never  lacked  chances  to  talk 
with  men  and  women  of  every  class,  whether  residents  or 
travelers.  He  was  a  beautiful  animal,  hardly  full 
grown,  and  one  of  three  that  had  been  sent  from  the 
royal  English  kennels  as  a  present  to  some  one  of  the 
royal  family  in  Berlin.  On  the  journey  this  one,  sup- 
posed to  be  dying  and  in  danger  of  infecting  the  others, 
was  discarded  in  Hanover.  He  recovered,  and  it  was 
my  good  fortune  to  purchase  him  from  a  lady  into  whose 
possession  he  had  come. 

About  the  end  of  May,  I  joined  my  mother  and  sister, 
with  her  little  daughter,  at  Wiesbaden,  where  we  stayed  a 
week  or  more. 

From  Wiesbaden  we  went  to  Freiberg  in  Breisgau. 
Here  my  brother-in-law  met  us,  and  he  and  I  started  on 
a  tramp  through  Switzerland.  On  this  trip  we  sent  a 
small  piece  of  baggage  ahead  by  post,  to  be  overtaken 
every  few  days,  while  each  of  us  carried,  strapped  to  our 
shoulders,  a  change  of  underclothing  wrapped  in  oiled 
silk.  Thus  provided,  we  could  sleep  at  any  chalet  on  our 
way,  and  not  be  committed  to  any  particular  route. 

We  tramped  several  weeks  —  over  the  St.  Gothard; 
over  the  Furka  and  the  Gemmi  passes  to  the  Rhone  and 
Chamounix,  with  many  minor  climbings.  During  it  all 
I  found  great  interest  in  the  grand  scale  on  which  Nature 
had  sculptured  to  produce  such  wonderful  effects,  and 
to  light  them  with  the  rose  of  dawn  and  tints  of  sunset. 
Here  for  the  first  time  I  awoke  profoundly  to  realize  the 
charm  and  grandeur  of  Nature  in  all  her  moods.  It  was 
on  the  St.  Gothard  Pass  that  I  was  first  consciously  im- 


GERMANY  AND  FRANCE  29 

pressed  by  the  beauty  of  mountain  structure,  when  I  saw 
the  slopes  descending  from  the  lofty  peaks  on  each  side, 
in  long,  sweeping  lines,  of  everchanging  curve,  to  melt  to- 
gether in  forming  the  pass. 

Then  there  was  the  delightful  first  sight  of  the  glaciers 
—  great  rivers  of  ice  —  sweeping  in  magnificent  curves 
down  the  steeply  graded  valleys,  fed  by  similar  tributary 
glaciers,  each  carrying,  on  each  side,  in  long,  continuous 
ridges,  the  load  of  rock  contributed  by  avalanches;  then, 
too,  the  loudly  thundering  echoes  of  these  avalanches! 
The  days  and  weeks  ran  pleasantly  by  without  count. 
Often,  at  night  or  on  the  tramp,  we  found  agreeable 
company.  Even  Bon  Coeur  found  it  delightful,  there 
were  so  many  goats  to  chase  up  the  steep,  rocky  de- 
clivities. 

It  had  to  end  sometime,  so  we  returned  to  Freiberg, 
and  all  of  us  went  to  Paris.  Here  we  took  an  apartment 
on  the  Champs  Elysees,  where  my  brother-in-law  left  us 
to  return  to  New  York. 

After  devoting  some  time  with  my  mother  and  sister 
to  the  Louvre,  I  haunted  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  (Botani- 
cal Gardens)  and  the  Museum. 

Every  day  I  made  my  way  along  the  quays  on  the  left 
bank,  dallying  at  the  stalls  full  of  old  books  or  prints, 
while  some  had  minerals  or  fossils.  I  came  to  know  just 
what  minerals  each  man  had,  and  what  he  had  sold  or 
put  in  afresh  since  the  day  before.  In  a  desultory  way 
I  had  come  to  be  able  to  recognize  quite  a  number  of 
minerals  merely  from  having  repeatedly  seen  them 
through  glass  in  collections.  So  one  morning  I  noticed 
something  as  new  and  interesting.  Labeled  as  topaz  lay, 
in  a  broken  saucer,  two  crystals  of  quartz  (rock  crystal) 
colored  red  by  iron  oxide  in  innumerable  cracks,  and  with 


80  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

these  a  beautiful  crystal,  more  than  two  inches  long, 
which  I  recognized  as  real  Brazilian  topaz.  The  price 
for  all  three  was  two  francs !  I  have  that  topaz  still,  and 
have  never  seen  its  equal  in  any  collection.  It  must  have 
been  stolen  and  just  sold  to  the  dealer,  who  probably 
bought  it  for  a  few  centimes,  not  realizing  that  it  was 
worth  hundreds  of  francs. 

Soon  after  arriving  in  Paris,  I  joined  a  small  class  for 
private  instruction  in  geology  by  Charles  d'Orbigny,  a 
little  gentleman  covered  with  snuff,  the  brother  of  the 
eminent  paleontologist  Alcide.  We  met  every  day  at  the 
Jardins  des  Plantes ;  and,  sometimes,  in  pleasant  weather, 
we  made  excursions  near  and  far  to  places  of  geological 
interest.  These  were  very  often  chalk  pits,  and  we 
sometimes  had  to  walk  through  Paris  covered  with  chalk 
dust,  but  reckless  and  happy  in  the  possession  of  a  load 
of  fine  fossils. 

At  our  pension  I  formed  a  lasting  friendship  with  an 
old  lady.  Baroness  de  Pailhez,  widow  of  one  of  the  gen- 
erals of  Napoleon  I.  Although  nearly  eighty,  she  was 
young  at  heart,  full  of  cameraderie,  and  altogether  the 
kind  of  woman  whose  friendship  is  a  boon  to  a  young 
man.  She  took  me  on  excursions,  and  on  shopping  ex- 
peditions. 

In  January,  1856,  I  took  a  room  in  the  Latin  Quarter, 
to  be  nearer  the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  but  almost  imme- 
diately came  down  with  a  severe  cold  on  the  lungs  and 
fever  which  kept  me  in  bed.  Early  in  February  Dr. 
Chomeill,  the  eminent  lung  specialist,  examined  me  and, 
finding  a  spot  affected,  ordered  me  off  to  Naples,  with  a 
big  bottle  of  cod  liver  oil  and  quinine,  and  instructions  to 
have  myself  examined  every  three  months.  I  find  from 
letters  sent  home,  by  my  mother,  that  I  was  supposed  to 
have  consumption.     The  spot  was  there  without  doubt, 


GERMANY  AND  FRANCE  31 

for  it  was  found  in  all  the  later  examinations,  but  doubt- 
less healed,  though  the  bottle  was  never  opened.  How- 
ever, this  incident  was  the  start  of  a  series  of  events  that 
determined  my  life  career. 


CHAPTER  V 
ITALY 

We  bought  tickets  to  Naples  via  Marseilles.  As  every- 
body said  that  Bon  Coeur  could  not  live  long  in  the  heat 
of  southern  Italy,  I  gave  him  to  Madame  de  Pailhez,  who 
was  devoted  to  him.  She  gave  him  to  her  married  daugh- 
ter, living  in  a  neighboring  town.  Here  Bon  Cceur  be- 
came so  great  a  favorite  that  because  he  was  a  wa"ter- 
dog  and  there  was  no  stream  near,  the  authorities  built  a 
pool  for  his  canine  majesty. 

The  voyage  from  Marseilles  to  Naples  by  steamer  was 
all  warmth  and  sunshine;  and  I  spent  most  of  the  day- 
time stretched  out  in  one  of  the  boats  hung  along  the  side 
of  the  deck.  I  don't  remember  whether  the  voyage, 
touching  at  Leghorn,  lasted  two  days  or  how  many  more ; 
I  think  of  it  now  as  one  of  ecstatic  delight,  for  I  had 
never  before  been  in  a  Southern  atmosphere.  The  soft 
coloring  of  sky  and  of  the  calm  sea,  the  brilliancy  of  the 
sun  by  day  and  of  the  moonlit  night ;  these  were  a  revela- 
tion of  the  great  possibilities  of  Nature,  whose  moods 
could  range  from  the  awful  grandeur  that  enthrones  the 
giants  of  the  Alps,  to  the  charm  of  this  languid  atmo- 
sphere. 

When  we  steamed  slowly  past  Corsica,  with  its  range 
of  peaks  rising  seven  thousand  and  to  nearly  ten  thousand 
feet  from  the  blue  sea,  I  was  seized  with  longing  to 
roam  in  its  mysteries,  little  dreaming  that  I  was  to  live, 
twice  for  months,  a  life  of  romance  in  its  fastnesses. 

32 


ITALY  33 

We  reached  Naples  the  23d  of  February,  1856.  I  can 
give  the  date  because  I  have  always  remembered  it  in  say- 
ing that  in  that  winter  the  peach  trees  were  in  full  bloom 
February  twenty-third;  it  seemed  so  remarkable  to  a 
Northerner.  It  was  morning  when  we  entered  the  bay  of 
Naples,  passing  between  the  guardians  of  its  entrance, — 
castle-crowned  Ischia  on  the  north  and  dreamy  Capri  on 
the  south.  Before  us  lay  the  bay,  bordered  by  brown, 
verdure-mottled  cliffs  backed  by  green  hills  and  moun- 
tains ;  the  shores  of  either  side  sweeping  in  gentle  curves 
to  meet  in  the  long  lowland  between  Castellammare  and 
Naples.  And  in  this  dreamily  distant  background,  the 
cone  of  Vesuvius  rose  with  the  peculiar  beauty  of  out- 
line that  Nature  grants  only  to  volcanoes.  On  this  calm 
morning  the  cone  was  a  pedestal  from  which  rose  lazily 
the  high  column  of  vapor  —  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  and 
a  pillar  of  fire  by  night. 

We  found  a  very  attractive  apartment  on  the  Riviera 
di  Chiaja,  facing  the  sun.  The  whole  blue  gulf,  the 
whole  varied  landscape  in  all  its  glory  of  form  and  color 
lay  in  view,  from  the  towering  cone  of  Vesuvius  around 
the  eastern  and  southern  shore  to  Capri.  Neither  the 
fascination  of  the  Golden  Horn,  nor  the  charm  of  the  Bay 
of  Yeddo,  can  compare  with  this,  in  all-loveliness  of  sky 
and  sea,  and  land. 

I  think  my  first  excursion  was  to  Vesuvius,  which  I 
climbed  with  my  mother.  We  rode  on  donkeys  to  the 
base  of  the  cone,  and  thence  made  the  ascent  on  foot. 
Of  course  we  lunched  on  eggs  cooked  in  the  hot  ashes 
on  the  edge  of  the  crater.  The  descent  of  the  cone  was 
by  sliding  and  stumbling  down  the  steep  slope  of  loose 
ashes. 

I  made  excursions  to  the  Solfatara,  the  crater  of  an 
extinct  volcano,  where  the  rocks  were  being  decomposed 


84  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

by  gases,  and  various  efiflorescent  minerals  were  being 
formed  in  the  process. 

I  did  not  know  it  then,  but  the  experience  gained  in  my 
many  excursions,  wholly  from  my  own  observations,  was 
perhaps  worth  the  loss  of  a  year  at  school.  Thenceforth 
I  collected  and  accumulated  specimens,  hoping  somehow 
and  somewhere  to  learn  something  further  about  the  story 
of  volcanoes  and  their  deep  forces. 

At  Pompeii  the  excavation  had  covered  only  a  small 
area,  and  only  in  a  desultory  manner ;  and  the  trip  thither 
was  an  experience  very  different  from  that  of  today. 
At  that  time  one  drove  most  of  the  way  under  an  endless 
arbor  of  macaroni  hung  out  to  dry  along  the  sides  and 
above  the  street.  In  the  afternoon  the  road  was  alive 
with  the  peasantry  in  their  attractive  costumes.  Car- 
ricoli  on  two  wheels,  drawn  by  one  horse,  carried  six  or 
eight  gaily  dressed  men  and  women  homeward  bound, 
while  two  or  more  ran  behind,  holding  on  by  ropes  —  all 
gesticulating,  laughing,  and  joking  in  sign  language  with 
those  they  passed.  Beggars  in  rags,  showing  horrible  de- 
formities or  gaping  sores,  were  everywhere.  And  there 
was  an  unending  line  of  boys,  running  ahead  of,  along- 
side and  behind  the  traveler,  turning  "  cartwheels  "  and 
jumping  "  leap  frog,"  in  untiring  expectation  of  coppers. 

Pompeii,  even  in  its  then  partial  state  of  excavation, 
showed  much  of  the  life,  art,  luxury,  and  vices  and  sudden 
death  of  its  people.  In  Herculaneum,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  was  evidence  of  the  more  refined  side  of  the  civiliza- 
tion. The  wealth  of  bronze  statuary  and  of  rolls  of  man- 
uscripts already  found,  raised  hopes  that  the  villas  buried 
under  the  great  streams  of  lava  may  yet  fill  out  to  us  the 
store  of  the  lost  literature  of  Greece  and  Rome,  and 
further  enrich  the  world  with  treasures  of  Greek  art. 

We  stayed  a  month  or  more  at  Naples,  during  which  I 


ITALY  86 

roamed  far  and  wide  around  the  bay.  The  stately  lines 
of  Virgil  haunted  me,  and  lying  on  the  citadel  mound  of 
old  Cumae  and  on  the  heights  of  Baiae  I  reveled  in  day- 
dreams. Those  weeks  are  in  my  memory  one  continuous 
happy  dream. 

There  came,  however,  one  nightmare.    Before  leaving 
Paris  we  had  drawn  the  balance  on  our  letter  of  credit 
and  had  written  home  for  a  new  letter  which  should  have 
reached  us  in  Naples,  but  it  had  not  arrived  though  over- 
due.    We  had  spent  the  money  we  had  brought  with  us, 
we  were  in  debt  for  rent  and  many  purchases,  tradesmen 
had  begun  to  dun ;  and  there  was  no  Atlantic  cable.     On 
the  1st  of  April  when  I  returned  to  our  quarters,  I  found 
people  on  the  stairs  waiting  to  be  paid.     This  was  a  new 
experience  with  us,  at  home  or  abroad.     I  had  charge  of 
our  money  matters,  and  felt  responsible  for  allowing  this 
condition  to  occur.     Retreating  into  the  street,  I  tried  to 
think  out  how  to  act.     We  knew  no  one  in  Naples,  ex- 
cepting the  U.  S.  Minister,  and  I  did  not  like  to  go  to 
him.     Suddenly,  as  I  walked,  I  noticed  a. sign — "  Turner 
&  Co.    Bankers"    In  an  inspiration  of  despair,  I  en- 
tered and,  handing  over  my  card,  asked  for  Mr.  Turner. 
I  was  ushered  into  a  room  where  an  elderly  man  looked 
at  me  inquiringly.     He  must  have  seen  that  I  was  trying 
to  suppress  something:  for  he  asked  me  to  sit  down; 
perhaps  there  was  moisture  in  my  eyes,  and  I  found  it 
hard  to  speak.     Then  as  his  expression  softened  I  told 
him  directly  the  whole  story;  how  we  had  written  from 
Paris  for  a  letter  that  had  not  come,  and  how  we  had,  in 
writing  later,  mentioned  that  we  had  written.     I  told  him 
that,  finding  people  waiting  on  the  stairs,  probably  for 
the  coming  in  of  my  mother,  from  whom  I  had  kept 
knowledge  of  the  condition,  I  had  come  to  him.     After 
I  had  stopped,  while  my  heart  was  thumping,  he  looked  at 


36  KAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

me  a  minute,  in  thought,  and  then  said :  **  Mr.  Pumpelly, 
how  much  do  you  owe  ?  "  "I  think  it  must  be  about  a 
hundred  pounds,"  I  answered.  Then  standing  up  he 
said :     "  Come  with  me." 

Going  to  the  cashier  he  said :  *'  Give  Mr.  Pumpelly 
twenty-five  hundred  lire."  The  strain  was  over,  and  in 
thanking  him  I  could  hardly  control  the  reaction.  He 
had  said  almost  nothing  during  the  talk,  and  had  asked 
only  the  one  question.     And  he  had  offered  no  advice. 

The  new  letter  came  within  a  week. 

When  I  next  visited  Naples,  after  nearly  forty  years, 
Mr.  Turner  was  dead,  and  I  took  pleasure  in  telling  the 
incident  to  his  son,  who  then  had  the  bank. 

The  date  we  had  set  for  going  to  Rome  soon  came. 
The  day  before  leaving,  I  went  to  a  cafe  and,  while  en- 
joying an  orange  sherbet,  missed  a  stick-pin  that  had  been 
a  present  from  my  aunt,  and  which  I  valued.  I  thought  I 
had  had  it  on  in  the  cab  that  had  brought  me  there,  and  I 
looked  for  it  in  vain  on  the  sidewalk ;  then  remembering 
the  number  of  the  driver,  I  went  to  the  Chief  of  Police, 
who  told  me  to  come  the  next  morning.  When  I  re- 
turned, he  said  he  had  the  man,  and  ordered  an  attendant 
to  bring  him  in.  The  driver  was  brought  in  handcuffed. 
In  a  very  brutal  manner  the  chief  demanded  that  he  give 
up  the  pin,  but  the  man  protested  his  innocence,  saying: 
**  The  signor  will  remember  that  he  left  his  umbrella  in 
the  cab,  and  that  I  took  it  to  him  in  the  cafe;  if  I  had  been 
a  thief  I  would  have  kept  the  umbrella."  I  believed  the 
man  was  innocent,  and  said  so  to  the  chief,  but  he  ordered 
him  back  to  his  cell,  telling  him  he  should  never  leave 
till  he  should  give  up  the  pin.  When  I  protested,  the 
chief  insisted :  "  He  stole  it  and  has  doubtless  got  rid 
of  it ;  I  have  confiscated  his  horses  and  cab."  From  the 
way  this  distributor  of  justice  spoke  the  words,  I  knew 


ITALY  37 

there  was  no  hope  for  the  poor  fellow ;  like  those  of  the 
patriots  of  1848  who  had  not  been  flogged  to  death  or 
hanged  or  died  in  prison  of  typhus,  he  would  die  slowly  in 
a  filthy  cell.  The  Chief  of  Police  would  inherit  the  horse 
and  cab.  I  reported  the  incident  to  our  Minister,  but  he 
said  it  would  be  useless  to  interfere,  there  was  no  hope 
for  an  Italian  who  once  came  into  the  hands  of  the  corrupt 
police  except  through  the  influence  of  the  Camorra  which 
would  be  exerted  only  in  favor  of  one  of  its  own  mem- 
bers. Let  us  hope  that  this  veturino  lived  till,  four  years 
later,  the  red-shirted  liberator  opened  the  prisons  and 
gave  him  a  chance  to  knife  the  Chief  of  Police. 

I  believe  we  stayed  about  a  month  in  Rome.  However 
long,  it  was  a  time  of  new  experiences  and  new  sensations. 
Much  of  my  time  was  passed  among  the  ruins  and  on  the 
Campagna.  I  found  pleasure  in  searching  for  colored 
marbles  in  the  ruins  of  the  palace  of  the  Caesars.  I 
loved  to  roam  among  the  tangled  vegetation  that  still 
covered  the  remnants  of  villas  and  baths.  Ignorant  of 
all  but  the  mere  outlines  of  history,  I  would  lie  on  the 
high  top  of  an  arched  wall  dreamily  basking  in  sunshine 
among  flowers  and  grass,  delighting  in  the  beauty  with 
which  Nature  clothed  the  decay  of  greatness. 

With  my  mother  and  sister  I  visited  all  the  galleries, 
churches,  catacombs ;  but  while  they  interested  me,  I  was 
too  inexperienced  really  to  appreciate  pictures,  statues,  or 
architecture. 

We  found  ourselves  always  coming  back  to  the  Colos- 
seum. Plants  still  covered  its  outlines  and  grew  out 
from  its  walls  enriching  its  grandeur  with  tangled  ver- 
dure. There  had,  as  yet,  been  no  excavation;  the  great 
arena  was  still  intact,  except  where  time  had  left  openings 
into  dark  underground  passages. 

It  was  its  grandeur  that  brought  us  there  to  sit  in  the 


38  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

full  light  of  the  sun;  but  in  moonlight  it  was  the  fas- 
cination of  its  darkened  arches  above,  and  the  sense  of 
mysteries  and  danger  below  our  feet:  for  beneath  were 
supposed  to  be  the  lurking  places  of  robbers. 

One  midnight  I  was  there  with  my  sister.  Our  way  back 
lay  through  the  as  yet  unexcavated  Forum  and  up  the 
long  ascent  north  of  the  Capitol.  We  were  talking,  and 
had  not  noticed  a  challenge  when  its  repetition,  and  the 
click  of  a  gun-cock,  made  me  shout  ami  in  time  to  save 
my  life.  Rome  was  then  occupied  by  French  troops,  and 
was  under  martial  law.  Only  a  short  time  before,  a 
young  Englishman,  climbing  the  steps  from  the  Piazza 
di  Spagna  at  night,  had  been  shot  and  killed  by  a  sentinel 
for  not  answering  the  challenge  in  ignorance  of  the  lan- 
guage. 


CHAPTER  VI 
IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA 

One  beautiful  morning  in  Florence,  whither  we  had 
journeyed  from  Rome,  I  awoke  with  a  longing  to  wander 
forth  for  a  whole  day;  and  saying  that  I  would  not  be 
back  till  night,  or  the  next  day,  I  went  off  to  go  by  train 
till  I  should  see  some  attractive  region.  Nothing  tempted 
me  to  get  oflF  before  the  end  of  the  railway  at  Leghorn 
on  the  sea.  Here  I  thought  to  stay  till  there  should  be 
an  afternoon  train  to  Florence.  The  sea  attracted  me, 
and  I  wandered  away  from  the  city  to  get  into  the  salt 
water  and  to  look  for  shells.  On  my  way  back  I  saw  a 
steamboat  which  they  told  me  was  about  to  start  for 
Bastia  in  Corsica  —  a  trip  of  only  a  few  hours.  This 
decided  me,  and  I  went  aboard,  not  realizing  where  this 
decision  was  leading  me.  I  thought  merely  to  see  Bastia, 
and  take  the  boat  again  on  its  return  trip.  But  soon  after 
landing,  seeing  a  door  plate  marked  "  Consulate  of  Great 
Britain,"  I  entered  to  get  some  information,  and  was 
very  pleasantly  received  by  the  Consul.  He  had  lived 
many  years  on  the  island,  and  was  able  to  tell  me  much 
about  its  history,  its  primitive  people,  and  the  wonder- 
ful scenery  of  its  mountains.  The  Consul  excited  my 
interest  so  much  that  when  he  added  that  I  ought  not  to 
leave  without  going  by  early  coach  in  the  morning  to  see 
the  town  of  Corte  in  the  mountains,  I  went  directly  and 
engaged  my  passage  thither,  intending  to  come  back  on 
the  return  trip  and  take  the  night  boat  to  Leghorn.    All 

39 


40  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

this  seemed  so  easy  and  so  delightful.  When  I  told  the 
Consul  that  I  should  have  to  draw  some  money  on  my 
letter  of  credit,  he  took  me  to  a  local  banker,  telling  him 
to  let  me  have  what  I  needed ;  and,  taking  the  money,  I 
left  my  letter  with  the  banker  for  safety  in  the  event 
of  a  holdup  of  the  stage.  I  slept  in  the  inn,  that  is  I 
thought  I  was  going  to  sleep  sweetly  after  a  good  dinner, 
but  my  dream  was  that  I  was  burning  in  hell.  I  was; 
and  awoke  throwing  off  the  covering.  There  was  a 
broad,  dense  column  marching  from  the  footboard  to 
the  head,  all  moving  to  disappear  under  the  pillow. 
Gathering  the  mass  in  the  undersheet  I  rolled  that  army 
up  and  —  but  it  isn't  necessary  to  tell  what  I  did.  Then 
I  managed  to  get  through  the  night  on  the  floor.  Evi- 
dently the  natives  were  immune,  and  I  might  as  well 
say  here  that  my  own  experiences  in  Corsica  and  later 
have  made  me  immune  as  regards  most  of  the  insects 
that  claim  intimate  acquaintance. 

The  Consul  had  given  me  a  letter  to  a  Mr.  Parodi  — 
a  merchant  of  Corte.  When  I  arrived  he  was  just  sit- 
ting down  to  breakfast  and  asked  me  to  join  him.  From 
him  I  got  much  more  information  about  the  island,  and 
when  he  ended  by  telling  me  that  I  ought  not  to  turn 
back  without  going  on  by  a  stage  that  was  soon  to  start, 
to  where  the  road  crossed  the  pass  at  the  foot  of  Monte 
d'Oro,  and  that  he  would  give  me  a  letter  to  the  chief  of 
the  Forest  Service,  who  lived  just  there,  I  threw  my 
resolution  to  the  winds,  and  went  on,  having  written  to 
my  mother  saying  that  I  might  be  away  several  days. 

A  drive  of  several  hours  brought  me  to  the  pass.  The 
road  lay  ascending  through  a  pleasant  cultivated  country, 
with  villages  perched  on  craggy  hilltops,  as  I  have  since 
then  seen  them  in  the  Ligurian  coast  and  in  the  Khabile 
country  of  northern  Africa.     At  first  for  a  long  time  we 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA       41 

passed  many  groves  of  large  chestnut  trees;  but  as  our 
way  neared  the  higher  range,  the  scene  changed;  the 
lofty  Monte  d'Oro  and  Monte  Renoso  towered  in  the 
distance,  and  later  we  entered  the  superb  forest  of  Viz- 
zonova,  of  larches  great  in  height  and  thickness.  On 
the  pass  I  got  out  at  the  new  wooden  house  of  the  Chief 
Forester.  That  official  was  absent,  but  his  wife  read 
the  letter  and  welcomed  me;  her  husband  might  not 
return  till  the  next  day,  but  he  would  certainly  wish  to 
have  me  wait  for  him,  and  she  would  try  to  make  me 
comfortable  in  the  meantime.  Indeed  there  was  nothing 
else  to  be  done :  for  the  stage  was  already  out  of  sight. 

I    found  in   Monsieur   S a  very   agreeable   and 

highly  educated  man.  He  gave  me  a  frankly  cordial 
welcome,  and  suggested  that  we  should  climb  Monte 
d'Oro  the  next  day.  Then  we  sat  down  at  his  work 
table  and  talked.  With  a  map  before  us,  he  explained 
his  routine  of  work  and  the  broad  outlines  of  forestry. 
After  this,  producing  a  large  topographic  map  of  Corsica, 
he  pointed  out  the  important  features  of  the  island. 
After  an  early  supper  we  had  a  long  talk  about  America, 
the  £cole  Poly  technique,  the  French  School  of  Forestry, 

and  tales  of  Corsican  Hf e ;  then  Madame  S sang,  and 

I  went  off  to  dream  of  the  romance  of  this  wonderful 
island. 

The  next  day,  because  the  mountain  was  draped  in 
clouds,  Monsieur  S took  me  to  see  different  interest- 
ing points.  We  climbed  up  deep  gorges,  where  torrents 
foamed  and  roared,  now  jumping  from  rock  to  rock  by 
the  edge  of  the  stream,  now  climbing  to  walk  among  the 
tall  larches  along  the  top  of  a  cliff  high  above  a  roaring 
cataract. 

The  next  day  we  climbed  Monte  d'Oro.  For  some 
time  our  way  lay  among  majestic  larches  and  pines ;  then 


42  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

as  it  rose  more  rapidly  the  trees  became  smaller,  and  the 
growth  thinner,  and  we  came  out  into  the  region  of  the 
mocchi  or  low  bushes,  and  from  this  on  to  the  bare  rock 
and  a  tough  climb  to  the  top,  and  to  a  view  startling  in 
its  grandeur.  The  whole  structure  of  Corsica,  in  won- 
derfully sculptured  relief,  lay  spread  out  beneath  us, 
around  us,  and  stretching  in  all  directions  to  the  sea. 
Our  outlook  was  from  one  of  the  five  lofty  peaks  that 
rise,  massive  monuments,  on  and  far  above  the  sinuous 
backbone  of  the  island;  and  that  island  an  emerald  set 
in  a  sapphire  sea. 

Our  peak,  reaching  upward  into  the  clouds,  was  a 
center  of  terrific  thunderstorms,  and  on  its  rocks  we 
saw  polished  surfaces,  which  we  thought  must  have  been 
glazed  by  the  heat  of  lightning.  Even  while  we  stood 
on  the  top,  clouds  gathered,  shutting  us  out  from  the 
world  near  and  far;  again  there  came  a  great  downfall 
of  hailstones,  about  the  size  of  peas,  but  large  enough 
to  drive  us  to  the  sheker  of  a  rock.  After  it  was  over, 
and  we  were  hurrying  down,  we  found  the  hail  gather- 
ing like  water  in  little  rills  to  unite  in  larger  dry  water- 
courses, as  we  had  seen  a  day  or  two  before  from  below. 

When,  at  breakfast,  I  told  my  friends  how  much  I 
would  rather  explore  the  mountains  than  return  at  once 

to  Florence,  Monsieur  S said :     "  Really  you  ought 

at  least  to  see  Monte  Rotondo  and  its  shepherds,  perhaps 
its  bandits  too ;  it  wouldn't  take  long,  and  I  can  arrange 
your  route  and  for  guides." 

Then  he  told  me  about  Monte  Rotondo,  its  primitive 
shepherds,  the  flocks  of  wild  sheep  among  its  snows,  and 
its  gorges  cleft  into  dark  depths  down  its  sides.  As  he 
told  of  these,  I  saw  my  resolutions  to  return  gradually 
fade  away  till  they  were  lost  to  sight. 

Monsieur  S gave  me  a  letter  to  a  forest  guard,  on 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA       43 

the  way  to  Monte  Rotondo,  telling  him  to  get  donkeys 
and  a  guide  for  me.  A  man  .with  two  donkeys  was 
brought  up  from  the  nearest  village,  and  bidding  good- 
bye to  the  friends  who  had  received  me  so  warmly,  I  left 
for  new  sights  and  sensations.  Before  leaving,  however, 
I  wrote  a  letter  to  my  mother,  explaining  my  delay  and 
my  plan  for  further  absence ;  this  letter  was  to  be  handed 
to  the  driver  of  the  diligence. 

For  baggage,  I  had  only  a  cloak,  my  hammer,  and  a 
hairbrush,  and  tooth  brush,  both  bought  at  Bastia.  I 
remember  little  of  the  journey,  except  that  before  eve- 
ning we  came  to  the  modest  house  of  the  guard,  who 
was  a  Corsican.  Fortunately  he  spoke  French:  for  the 
Corsican  dialect  differed  much  from  Italian.  He  and 
his  wife  were  very  hospitable,  and  prepared  a  very  wel- 
come supper. 

When  he  heard  that  I  wished  not  only  to  climb  Monte 
Rotondo,  but  also  to  spend  several  days  in  exploring  it, 
he-said  it  would  be  well  to  go  to  a  village  on  the  way  and 
there  get  two  men  whom  he  knew,  as  guides,  and  some 
provisions. 

That  night  bears  a  very  red  letter  in  the  calendar  of 
my  life.  Being  very  tired,  I  slept  a  deep  sleep  till  long 
after  midnight,  when  I  awoke  in  agony.  My  groans 
brought  the  guard  to  my  side. 

"What  is  it,  signore?" 

"  I  am  burning,  please  bring  a  candle.*' 

**  I  have  one,  signore" 

•* Light  it  quick!" 

"  It  is  lighted,  signore" 

I  was  blind ;  not  only  was  I  burning  from  head  to  foot, 
but  my  eyelids  were  so  swollen  that  it  was  hours  before 
I  could  see.  Then  I  swore  an  earnest  oath  that  never 
again  would  I  sleep  in  a  Corsican  bed.     It  was  a  wise 


44  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

vow,  though  it  led  to  many  discomforts.  That  bed,  too, 
had. seemed  so  attractive  when  I  first  saw  it  with  its  clean 
sheets. 

Early  in  the  morning  I  was  at  the  village,  and  had  en- 
gaged two  men  indicated  by  the  guard.  The  suppUes 
were  a  large  quantity  of  hardtack  biscuits,  coffee,  several 
big  gourds  of  wine,  and  some  bowls  and  spoons.  In  my 
inexperience,  I  left  all  the  arrangements  to  the  men. 

In  the  meantime  I  observed  my  guides  with  a  slight 
feeling  of  uneasiness.  They  were  alert  and  well  built, 
but  their  shaggy  black  hair  sheltered  dark,  somber 
visages  and  piercing  eyes  suggesting  the  savagery  of  the 
primitive  man.  There  surged  up  in  my  memory  the 
words  of  the  fortune  teller  of  Hanover :  "  The  danger  I 
see  is  from  those  with  you  in  strange  lands;  never  let 
them  go  behind  you."  Having  heard  much  of  the  Corsi- 
can  bandits,  and  seen  Calabrian  criminals  of  appearance 
similar  to  these  men,  it  occurred  to  me  that  here,  if  ever, 
such  a  warning  might  be  fitting.  But  when  I  began  to 
talk  with  them  about  the  road,  they  looked  me  straight  in 
the  eye,  and  the  frankness  of  their  bearing  disarmed  any 
suspicions ;  I  felt  that  they  could  be  trusted.  Fortunately 
they  knew  a  little  French,  and  with  this  and  Italian,  we 
managed  to  understand  each  other. 

At  first  our  way  lay  through  the  great  forest  of  larches 
and  pines,  whose  trunks,  three  to  six  feet  in  diameter, 
towered  a  hundred  and  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  us, 
the  larches  in  tall  spires,  the  pines  with  spreading  tops. 
Mingled  with  these  were  superb  oaks  and  beeches. 

As  the  valley  narrowed  to  become  a  deep-cleft  gorge, 
we  climbed  slowly  to  the  highland  by  a  path  along  the 
edge  of  the  precipice,  and  so  narrow  that  my  sensations 
were  divided  between  trust  in  the  skill  of  the  donkey,  and 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA       46 

fear  of  the  danger  of  a  misstep.  As  our  route  brought 
us  to  higher  ground,  we  came  at  last  out  of  the  forest 
into  the  open  highland,  where  the  mid-declivities  of  the 
mountain  were  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  low 
bushes ;  from  some  of  these  the  air  was  filled  with  a  spicy- 
fragrance.  Continuing  and  ever  ascending,  we  wound 
our  way  among  bare  rocks,  and  suddenly  saw  in  the  near 
distance  what  seemd  to  be  groups  of  piled  stones.  The 
■fcguides  halted  and  shouted.  Some  men,  shaggy,  wild- 
^piooking  beings,  came  out  and,  welcoming  us,  led  the  way 
through  a  number  of  formidable  dogs,  to  their  home. 
This  was  not  to  be  our  place  for  the  night,  and  after 
accepting  a  drink  of  milk  we  went  on.  The  path  be- 
came steeper,  the  great  bare  mass  of  the  mountain  rose 
before  us,  and  the  noise  of  a  rushing  river  came  up  from 
the  depths  beside  us.  Before  long  we  saw  smoke  and 
again  a  group  of  cairns,  and  again  the  guides  halted  and 
signaled,  and  we  were  welcomed. 

The  home  of  these  shepherds  consisted  of  several  huts 
with  walls  of  loose  stones,  perhaps  four  feet  high,  and 
nearly  flat  roofs  of  tree  trunks. 

There  were  no  women  or  children,  the  men  looked  even 
more  shaggy  than  those  at  the  first  encampment,  but 
their  welcome  had  the  true  ring  of  hospitality. 

The  afternoon  was  drawing  to  an  end,  and  the  sheep 
were  being  milked.  The  shepherd  who  seemed  to  be  my 
host  led  me  to  a  stone  at  which  stood  a  wooden  pail  with 
about  two  quarts  of  milk,  and  beside  this  some  bread 
freshly  made  from  chestnut  flour,  and  some  cheese. 
"  Eat,"  he  said,  *'  it  is  the  best  we  have ;  to-morrow  we 
will  give-you  hroccio."  Being  hungry,  and  fearing  to  of- 
fend by  eating  from  my  own  provisions,  I  obeyed,  and 
found  the  sheep's  milk  delicious,  so  too  the  Jsread  and 


46  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

cheese.  After  I  had  finished,  there  remained  perhaps  a 
pint  of  milk,  and  I  noticed  that  the  pail  was  set  before  a 
dog  who  soon  emptied  it. 

The  sun  had  set  behind  the  high  crest  of  the  range,  the 
shepherds  sat  in  a  group,  smoking  pipes,  some  silent, 
others  talking  with  my  guides  —  questioning  them,  I 
thought,  about  the  stranger  that  had  cared  to  climb  these 
rugged  heights.  When  I  joined  the  group,  they  made 
a  place  for  me.  As  I  listened,  trying  to  understand 
something  in  the  half-familiar  language,  it  came  to  my 
mind  that  I  had  dropped  into  a  stage  of  society  that  had 
come  down  unchanged  from  remotest  time:  for  these 
people  were  self-sufficient,  needing  absolutely  nothing  be- 
yond what  their  own  efforts  produced  —  cheese,  milk,  and 
clothing  from  their  goats  and  sheep,  and  bread  from  their 
own  chestnut  trees  in  the  valley.  They  looked  quite 
capable  of  taking  whatever  else  they  might  want  wherever 
they  found  it.  And  yet  their  frankly  offered  hospitality 
and  air  of  straightforwardness  inspired  confidence. 

In  the  twilight  the  group  scattered,  and  the  old  shep- 
herd who  was  my  host  led  me  into  the  hut.  It  contained 
one  room,  ten  or  twelve  feet  square,  with  no  visible  fur- 
niture—  a  few  gourds  and  some  dried  meat  hanging 
under  the  roof ;  in  the  center  a  small  fire  on  the  earthen 
floor.  In  vain  my  eyes  searched  the  obscurity  for  bed- 
ding, till  the  shepherd,  pointing  to  the  floor,  said: 

**This  is  our  bed;  siamo  poveri  (we  are  poor)." 
There  were  possibly  eight  of  us  all  told,  and  the  others 
were  already  stretched  out  with  their  feet  to  the  fire,  with 
no  covering,  and  nothing  under  them  but  the  thickness 
of  their  ragged  clothes.  I  did  not  tarry;  the  dense 
smoke,  that  found  no  outlet  except  through  the  low  door, 
blinded  my  eyes  with  an  intense  irritation;  so  like  the 
others  I  threw  myself  outstretched  upon  the  bare  ground, 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA       47 

thanking  my  stars  that  I  had  at  least  a  cloak.  Once 
down,  I  found  the  air  tolerably  free  from  smoke.  Once 
more  the  host  spoke:  " Dormite  bene  (Sleep  well)," 
and  all  was  silent.  In  spite  of  my  fatigue  I  lay  long 
awake.  The  novelty  of  the  life,  the  wild  surroundings, 
the  hardness  of  the  ground,  brought  varied  sensations; 
and  I  was  conscious  of  trouble  brewing  within,  which 
soon  developed  into  a  severe  pain.  No  one  had  warned 
me  of  the  chestnut  bread  which  had  seemed  so  innocent 
and  sweet.  Then  too  the  absence  of  a  pillow  was  in- 
tolerable, as  well  as  what  smoke  remained  near  the 
ground.  At  last  there  came  the  happy  thought  to  get 
my  saddle  for  a  head  rest,  and  I  went  out  into  the  night. 
There  was  Nature,  Nature  sublime,  awful,  silent.  The 
still  low-hanging  moon  cast  a  weird  light  over  the  far- 
stretching  scene,  and  bathed  the  giant  pyramid  of  the 
mountain  with  a  silvery  brilliance ;  the  towering  mass  of 
rock  seemed  nearer  than  by  day;  its  snowy  top  shone 
white,  and  all  the  sculpturing  of  the  varied  surface  stood 
out  in  clear  relief  of  light  and  shade. 

After  again  getting  my  feet  near  the  smoldering  em- 
bers, and  the  saddle  arranged  for  a  pillow,  I  slept  till, 
with  the  dawn,  the  life  of  the  camp  began. 

Thus  ended  my  first  night  with  Nature  and  primitive 
man.     I  looked  eagerly  forward  to  more. 

My  host  had  promised  to  give  me  broccio  for  breakfast ; 
I  wondered  what  it  could  be.  When  at  last  it  came,  I 
saw  a  neat  basket-bowl  filled  with  a  snowy-white  sub- 
stance lying  on  leaves.  It  looked  something  like  our 
cottage  cheese,  but  it  was  a  dish  for  the  gods.  It  was 
made  in  some  way  by  curdling  the  fresh,  sweet  milk  of 
sheep.  I  had  again  a  pail  of  milk,  which  with  the  un- 
used remnant  was  handed  to  a  dog,  and  I  suspected 
would  be  used  again  unwashed. 


48  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

It  was  my  ambition  to  climb  to  the  mountain  top,  and 
to  be  there  before  sunrise.  The  shepherds  told  me  that 
it  was  too  early  in  the  season,  and  moreover,  it  would 
not  be  practicable  to  camp  on  the  top :  it  would  be  better 
to  make  an  early  start,  and  make  the  whole  trip  up  and 
back  by  day.  After  much  discussion  it  appeared  that 
we  might  camp  below  the  summit,  near  a  little  lake:  so 
after  breakfast  with  my  two  men  and  one  of  the  shep- 
herds we  started  on  foot.  Each  of  the  men  had  a  bag 
of  food  slung  over  his  shoulders;  I  carried  my  cloak 
and  the  hammer.  The  day  was  perfect,  the  sun  brilliant 
in  a  clear  sky,  and  the  mountain  air  invigorating  in  the 
freshness  of  the  morning.  We  had  to  climb  for  several 
hours  over  foothills,  till,  coming  around  a  corner,  we 
looked  out  upon  a  great  amphitheater  scooped  out  of  the 
whole  side  of  the  mountain.  At  its  foot,  far  below  us, 
lay  a  little  lake  of  sapphire  blue  ensconced  in  a  green, 
grassy  meadow.  A  field  of  snow  covered  the  rest  of  the 
amphitheater,  sweeping  downward  from  below  the  sum- 
mit, in  ever-gentling  curve,  to  spread  out  at  the  bottom 
near  the  lake. 

I  did  not  know  till  later  that  such  amphitheaters  were 
the  gathering  points  of  the  high  mountain  snows  out  of 
which  are  developed  glaciers. 

In  the  early  morning  the  climb  to  the  top  was,  as  I  re- 
member, quite  difficult.  The  light  of  the  moon  made  it 
possible  for  the  shepherd  to  choose  the  best  way,  though 
we  often  had  to  cut  foothold  in  the  hardened  snow  or 
ice;  but  we  reached  a  spot  a  little  below  the  top  just  be- 
fore the  break  of  day. 

Here  we  waited  till  the  first  signals  of  dawn  appeared 
in  the  eastern  sky.  As  I  remember  it,  the  sky  was  clear, 
but  from  below  was  rising  a  mist  which  partly  hid  the 
horizon  as  the  sun  rose  after  we  stood  on  the  summit. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA       49 

What  I  remember  of  the  first  moments,  is  standing 
against  the  jagged  pinnacle  that  formed  the  very  top  and, 
looking  out  to  the  west,  seeing  a  gigantic  reproduction  of 
myself  —  my  shadoV  cast  by  the  sun  upon  the  cloud  of 
mist.  I  had  heard  of  the  ''  Spectre  of  the  Brocken  "  in  the 
Hartz  Mountains;  here  I  was  the  ghost  of  Monte  Ro- 
tondo. 

On  the  way  down  we  made  a  detour  to  visit  the  little 
lake.  I  remember  it  as  nestling  in  a  grassy  meadow,  its 
calm  surface  reflecting  the  field  of  snow  descending  be- 
tween the  rocky  walls  of  the  amphitheater.  Best  of  all, 
I  remember  the  swarms  of  mountain  trout  that  darted 
out  at  every  step  along  its  edge.  Of  these  we  caught  a 
large  supply  which  gave  a  welcome  addition  to  the  eve- 
ning meal. 

I  don't  remember  how  long  I  stayed  in  this  part  of  the 
island,  but  it  must  have  been  several  weeks.  On  foot 
with  my  men  and  a  shepherd  from  this  hergerie,  I  made 
excursions  in  every  direction  —  along  the  main  crest  and 
the  summits  of  the  spurs,  and  climbing  high  peaks  or 
descending  into  wild  gorges.  And  I  made  at  least  one 
more  climb  to  the  top  of  Monte  Rotondo. 

We  usually  made  camp  for  two  or  three  days,  and,  like 
savages,  got  our  fill  and  new  strength  for  the  rough 
tramping.  It  was  the  life  of  the  outlaw  of  the  vendetta, 
excepting  only  that  we  were  not  in  hiding,  and  not  on 
the  lookout  for  an  avenging  pursuit.  It  was,  for  me,  a 
new  life,  fascinating  in  its  strangeness,  in  the  wild  beauty 
of  the  mountains  and  the  freedom  from  forethought  as 
to  where  we  should  lie  down  at  night,  or  of  care  for 
conditions  of  weather. 

The  chief,  untiring  pleasure  was  the  adventure,  but 
with  this  was  the  interest  in  the  mountain  forms  and  in 
the  rocks.     The  impression  that  remains  is  that  the  whole 


60  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

region  was  granitic.  I  remember  that  I  was  particularly 
interested  in  the  frequent  occurrence  in  the  granite  of 
veins  of  quartz  and  feldspar,  and  of  larger  dikes  of  dif- 
ferent rocks  which  were  quite  new'to  my  ignorant  eye. 
These  I  observed  closely,  making  minute  sketches  of  all 
details  of  structure  and  composition,  and  collecting  small 
specimens. 


CHAPTER  VII 

IN  THE  HAUNTS  OF  OUTLAWS  OF  THE 
VENDETTA 

In  the  course  of  these  tramps  I  soon  came  to  under- 
stand the  Corsican  dialect,  and  to  be  able  to  talk  in  it  with 
my  men,  and  with  the  shepherds  of  the  hergerie. 

I  Hked  these  people.  Their  rather  somber  faces,  under 
a  dark  mass  of  often  curly  hair,  were  somber  only  when 
at  rest,  but  lighted  up  in  talking.  As  soon  as  they  came 
to  know  me  better  they  gave  vent  to  curiosity  about  my- 
self, my  belongings,  my  people,  and  my  reasons  for  doing 
this  thing  and  that.  They  were  not  impulsively  com- 
municative about  themselves  personally,  but  talked  freely 
about  the  mountains  and  their  life.  While  I  liked  them, 
I  felt  that  it  would  be  bad  to  have  them  not  like  me,  and 
that  they  might  be  dangerous  as  enemies.  However,  dur- 
ing my  wide  experience  among  these  mountainews,  I 
never  had  a  disagreeable  episode.  There  was  this  first 
year,  one  point  on  which  I  soon  became  aware  that  they 
maintained  reserve,  and  that  was  the  vendetta  —  the  sub- 
ject that  was  so  intimately  ingrained  in  their  passionate 
nature.  At  first  I  thought  that  they  feared  I  might  be 
a  spy  of  the  government,  but  later  I  knew  that  could  not 
be  the  reason. 

In  my  excursions  we  often  passed  or  slept  at  night  in 
caves  under  masses  of  enormous  rocks.  These  were  gen- 
erally coated  with  smoke  and  creosote,  and,  because  they 
were  not  near  pasturage,   but  always  'in  very  hidden 

51 


52  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

places,  I  was  curious  to  learn  their  history.  After  a  while 
my  men  told  me  that  they  had  been  hiding  retreats  from 
the  vendetta  and  from  the  police. 

I  will  mention  here  one  benefit  besides  the  shelter  that 
these  caves  gave  me.  Before  I  left  Paris,  Dr.  Evans,  the 
dentist  of  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe,  had  filled  two  of 
my  molars,  and  had  done  it  so  carelessly,  without  pro- 
tecting the  nerve,  that  I  had  frequent  toothaches  for  a 
year.  Before  I  came  to  Corsica  the  filling  had  come  out 
and  decay  was  progressing  with  the  pain.  I  had  been 
told  that  creosote  relieved  toothache,  and  when  I  found 
this  oil  in  drops  on  the  roof  of  a  cave  I  soaked  it  into  a 
little  ball  of  paper,  and  found  great  relief  by  prying  it  into 
my  teeth.  Later,  while  traveling  in  the  island  on  horseback 
or  on  donkeys,  by  making  a  cornucopia  of  brown  paper, 
lighting  the  open  end,  and  blowing  the  smoke  through  a 
little  hole  at  the  small  end  onto  a  stone,  I  got  enough  of 
the  much  prized  creosote  oil  collected  to  stop  the  pain.  I 
even  managed  to  do  this  in  the  saddle  while  riding. 

The  time  came  when  I  felt  I  must  leave  my  hospitable 
shepherds  if  I  wanted  to  see  more  of  the  island,  and  I 
think  that  the  regret  at  parting  was  mutual. 

My  wish  was  to  climb  Mount  Baglia  Orba.  I  don't 
remember  what  made  me  choose  this  particular  one  of  the 
several  peaks  I  had  seen  from  Monte  Rotondo.  It  may 
have  been  the  melody  of  its  name,  or  the  rugged  outlines 
that  showed  above  the  intervening  mountain  chain,  or  it 
may  have  been  what  I  had  heard  of  the  country  I  should 
have  to  go  through  on  the  way. 

The  route  lay  due  north  till  we  reached  the  river  Golo, 
and  then  up  this  valley  to  the  source  of  the  main  tribu- 
tary of  that  stream. 

We  camped  several  days  near  the  foot  of  the  peak  of 
Baglia  Orba,  exploring  the  crests  and  valleys.     Every- 


IN  THE  HAUNTS  OF  THE  OUTLAWS      53 

where  the  rock  was  porphyry,  in  varying  red  and  brown 
shades.  Fortunately  I  had,  as  on  Monte  Rotondo,  added 
a  local  shepherd  to  my  party,  and  had  come  provided 
with  bags  to  hold  specimens. 

As  I  remember  Baglia  Orba,  its  peak  rises  as  a  steep 
horn  with  almost  vertical  sides ;  at  least  this  is  the  way  I 
have  it  sketched  in  my  notebook.  The  shepherd  led  me 
up  what  he  said  was  the  only  way.  The  last  stretch  of 
the  climb  was  up  what  seemed  like  a  chimney,  open  on 
one  side,  carved  in  the  face  of  the  cliff.  We  had  to 
work  our  way,  I  think  at  least  thirty  feet,  up  this  ver- 
tical flue,  with  the  remembrance  of  my  climb  at  West 
Rock  and  the  uncertainties  of  descent  always  in  mind. 

In  exploring  one  of  the  valleys  descending  from  this 
mountain,  I  noticed  that  near  the  bottom  the  rocks  were 
worn  smooth  and  almost  polished  in  a  way  that  recalled 
what  I  had  seen  at  the  foot  of  a  glacier  in  Switzerland, 
and  that  they  were  grooved,  and  scratched  with  lines  all 
running  in  one  direction.  The  significance  of  these,  their 
relation  to  glacial  activity,  did  not  occur  to  me  then:  it 
appeared  only  as  a  puzzle  to  be  explained,  possibly  by 
the  grinding  of  rocks  moved  in  the  torrent. 

From  Baglia  Orba  we  followed  the  crest  northeastward 
to  Monte  Cinto,  one  of  the  highest  of  the  Corsican  peaks. 

We  camped  below  the  summit  of  Monte  Cinto,  and 
near  the  foot  of  a  broad  amphitheater  covered  with  snow 
from  high  above  down  to  a  lakelet  of  clear,  blue  water  at 
the  bottom.  In  returning  to  camp  from  tramps  along 
the  high  crest,  we  found  excitement  in  coasting  down  on 
the  firm  surface  of  the  snow. 

At  another  point  we  came,  one  day,  upon  a  cave  formed 
among  a  number  of  immense  rocks  fallen  from  above. 
It  had*a  small  entrance,  and  was  blackened  on  the  inside 
by  the  smoke  of  many  fires. 


54  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

My  shepherd  guide  told  me  that,  only  a  few  years  be- 
fore, this  had  been  the  scene  of  the  killing  of  the  last 
member  of  one  of  the  terrible  gangs  of  bandits  —  the 
Arrighi-Massoni.  The  story  was  so  dramatic  that  it 
made  a  strong  impression  on  me,  and  I  heard  it  later 
from  several  sources.  It  is  so  characteristic  of  the  ter- 
rorism that  blighted  the  industry  of  this  beautiful  island, 
that  I  shall  give  it  in  outline  from  the  authentic  report  of 
M.  Felix  Bertrand,  Premier  Avocat  General  a  la  Cour 
imperiale  de  Bastia. 

The  End  of  a  Bandit  Gang 

Two  brothers,  Pierre  Jean  and  Xavier  Massoni,  and 
Mathieu  Arrighi,  who  had  been  soldiers,  were  the  rem- 
nant of  a  larger  band  who  had  long  terrorized  the  district 
of  the  Balagna,  and  had  always  escaped  pursuit.  In 
time  they  sought  refuge  in  the  Niolo  where  the  shepherds 
were  less  friendly.  Here  one  day  they  killed  two  goats 
for  supper.  The  owner  pretended  not  to  object,  but  fol- 
lowed the  bandits  at  a  distance  till  he  saw  them  camp  at 
a  cave  in  a  remote  part  of  the  mountains  between  Corsica 
and  TAquale.  Then  he  hastened  to  notify  the  gendarmes 
at  Calacuccia,  about  five  hours  distant.  In  the  meantime 
the  bandits  had  roasted  their  goats,  Pierre  Jean  Massoni 
went  to  sleep  in  a  crevice  in  the  rocks,  and  Xavier  and 
the  other  lay  down  in  a  neighboring  cave. 

At  daybreak  two  brigades  arrive.  The  gendarme  Mu- 
selli,  separating  from  the  others,  climbs  upon  a  rock  dom- 
inating the  place,  and  seeing  only  the  feet  of  Pierre  Jean, 
in  order  to  be  sure,  he  throws  a  little  stone,  then  another 
and  a  third.  Pierre  Jean  jumps  up,  yawns,  looks  around, 
and  seeing  Muselli,  draws  a  pistol ;  but  the  gendarme  fires 
and  the  baiidit  rolls  over  dead. 


IN  THE  HAUNTS  OF  THE  OUTLAWS      65 

The  sound  of  the  shot,  repeated  by  a  succession  of 
echoes,  brings  three  gendarmes.  While  they  are  hurry- 
ing up,  a  man  is  seen  running  off  in  the  gorge  below,  but 
as  they  approach,  he  jumps  behind  a  rock,  fires  and  kills 
the  gendarme  Albertini,  then  fires  again  and  wounds 
Orsattoni,  and  starts  to  run,  but  falls,  hit  by  a  ball  from 
Corteggiani,  jumps  up  again,  and  disappears  among  the 
dense  bushes. 

The  gendarmes  are  in  doubt  what  to  do ;  one  bandit  is 
dead,  one  has  escaped ;  where  is  the  third  ?  They  decide 
to  form  a  cordon  around  the  little  valley,  and  watch.  In 
the  morning  all  is  quiet,  no  noise,  no  clews.  Discouraged, 
they  begin  a  closer  examination  of  the  locality.  The 
little  valley  is  wild,  narrow,  and  covered  with  brush, 
and  its  sides  are  masses  of  enormous  rocks  fallen  from 
above,  and  clothed  with  plants  that  hide  the  interstices. 
On  a  little  tongue  of  land  between  two  rivulets,  there  rise 
two  great  trees.  One  of  the  gendarmes  is  hidden  in  the 
foliage  of  one  of  them,  and,  on  a  sign  from  an  officer, 
jthe  barrel  of  his  gun  comes  slowly  out,  and  two  explo- 
sions occur  at  once;  the  gendarme  falls,  killed  by  a  shot 
from  the  bandit's  gun. 

All  is  explained,  but  it  has  cost  the  life  of  a  soldier. 
The  bandit  is  there,  watching  and  waiting.  His  cave  is 
on  a  precipice  inaccessible  on  three  sides,  and  consists  of 
two  small  apartments  communicating  by  a  narrow  aper- 
ture only  passable  by  climbing.  The  bandit  controls  the 
situation.  In  case  of  assault,  he  can  retreat  to  the  inner 
cave  and  kill,  one  by  one,  the  men  climbing  the  passage. 
He  has  water  and  a  little  bread,  and  abundant  ammuni- 
tion. 

Forty-eight  hours  pass.  At  daybreak  the  sound  of  a 
drum  announces  the  coming  of  a  troop.  Several  com- 
panies arrivQ  in  the  valley,  and  are  distributed  over  the 


56  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

ground;  the  corps  de  genie  itself  has  been  sent  to  help 
exterminate  this  scourge.  A  gendanne  manages  to  get 
into  a  safe  place  just  below  the  cave;  he  calls  upon  the 
bandit  to  surrender,  promising  him  his  life ;  tells  him  he 
is  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  iron;  that  all  points  are 
guarded,  and  there  is  no  chance  of  escaping  through  the 
net.  He  asks  whether  he  is  not  Xavier  Massoni.  This 
excites  the  susceptibility  of  the  bandit,  who  answers  that 
he  is  only  the  "little  Arrighi "  (Mathieu).  "But  you. 
who  are  you,  and  what  are  you  doing  down  there  under 
that  rock  that  protects  you  ?  " 

"  I  belong  to  the  brigade  of  Corsica ;  Fm  a  Corsican 
like  you,  and  have  my  share,  too,  of  courage/' 

"  Yes !  "  replied  the  bandit.  "  Well,  since  you  are  so 
brave,  show  the  top  of  your  helmet,  or  just  a  button  of 
your  uniform." 

During  this  dialogue,  soldiers  climb  to  the  platform  on 
top  of  the  cave,  and  make  a  hole  which  they  fill  with 
thirty  pounds  of  powder,  and  light  a  fuse;  there  is  a 
terrible  explosion,  the  ground  trembles,  a  mass  of  rock 
falls  and  great  stones  fly  in  the  air.  While  all  stand 
w^atching  for  the  effect,  they  are  greeted  by  a  loud,  jeering 
laugh  from  the  bandit,  who  appears  for  a  moment  in  the 
midst  of  the  smoke. 

Night  comes.  No  one  knows  what  is  to  be  done. 
They  cut  pines  and  brush,  and  tumble  them  from  above 
to  make  a  pile  in  front  of  the  cave,  and  on  this  they  drop 
burning  brush  to  smoke  Arrighi  out.  It  makes  a  great 
fire,  lighting  up  the  valley  and  the  groups  of  soldiers, 
the  trees,  and  the  stream  in  which  still  lay  the  body  of 
the  gendarme,  which  no  one  had  ventured  to  approach. 
To  keep  every  one  on  the  alert,  they  call  from  time  to 
time,  from  post  to  post:  " Sentinelles,  prenez  garde  a 
vous."    As  soon  as  the  last  call  has  sounded,  Arrighi 


IN  THE  HAUNTS  OF  THE  OUTLAWS   57 

takes  it  up  mockingly,  and  cries,  "  Sentinelles  prenes 
garde  a  moi."  He  jokes  with  the  gendarmes,  and  even 
threatens  them:  "  If  I  escape  I  will  be  worse  than  Theo- 
dore (a  notoriously  cruel  bandit).  I  killed  one  of  you 
this  morning;  I  will  kill  the  others  like  wild  beasts." 
Then  calling  to  a  gendarme  from  Calacuccia :  "  As  for 
you,  I  had  you  at  the  point  of  my  gun,  and  would  have 
killed  you  while  you  were  eating  if  I  hadn't  seen  your 
little  boy  by  your  side." 

Then  they  hear  the  bandit  moving  rocks  to  make  a 
barricade  in  the  cave.  He  keeps  awake  night  and  day, 
he  has  now  neither  water  nor  food.  To  refresh  himself, 
he  digs  up  wet  earth  to  cool  his  cheeks. 

The  fourth  day  arrives.  They  tell  the  bandit  of  the 
formidable  siege  prepared  for  the  morrow.  Nothing 
daunts  him:  neither  thirst,  hunger,  nor  fatigue  conquers 
this  nature  of  iron  and  steel. 

At  two  hours  after  midnight,  when  least  expected,  he 
plunges  from  a  height  of  more  than  twenty  feet,  and 
bounds  off  like  a  panther.  A  hundred  guns  fire  on  him 
at  once,  but  with  poor  aim;  he  clears  two  sentinels,  and 
stops  at  the  third,  wounded,  and  falls  among  a  mass  of 
rocks. 

"  Surrender  to  me,"  cries  a  gendarme. 

"  Come  and  take  me." 

While  they  are  preparing  to  kill  him  without  sacri- 
ficing another  gendarme,  he  grows  impatient. 

**  Would  you  Hke  to  aim  at  the  head?  "  he  shouts,  and 
rising,  faces  the  soldiers  proudly,  then  falls  riddled  with 
bullets. 

We  have  seen  that  on  the  first  morning  Xavier  had  es- 
caped. So  great  was  the  terror,  and  powerful  the  in- 
fluence, of  this  man,  that  although  separate  from  the 
band,  and  wounded,  he  still  found  men,  of  Corsica  and 


68  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

TAquale,  who  took  him  on  a  mule  to  the  grotto  on  Monte 
Cinto,  and  a  doctor  to  treat  his  wounds.  An  old  shep- 
herd brought  him  milk  and  foliage  for  bedding,  and 
from  him,  he  learned  of  the  death  of  the  other  two. 

In  the  meantime,  Lieutenant  Virgetti  with  his  troop 
overran  the  Niolo,  arrested  those  who  had  helped  the 
bandits,  intimidated  the  people,  and  at  last  learned  where 
the  fugitive  was  hidden.  The  grotto  was  surrounded. 
The  gendarmes  began  to  close  the  small  entrance  by 
throwing  rocks  into  it,  hoping  to  bury  the  man  alive,  but 
were  stayed  by  the  appearance  of  the  barrel  of  a  gun 
through  a  small  opening.  However,  when  the  soldiers 
began  operations  for  blowing  up  the  cave,  Xavier  agreed 
to  give  himself  up.  He  came  out,  throwing  away  his 
pistol  and  discharging  his  gun  into  the  air,  but  was 
killed  by  a  shot  from  a  gendarme  who  had  not  been 
notified. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
BY  DONKEY  TO  AJACCIO 

In  August  I  left  the  region  of  Monte  Cinto  and  Baglia 
Orba. 

As  I  intended  to  descend  to  the  western  coast,  and 
make  my  way  to  Ajaccio,  we  followed  the  crest  till  we 
found  a  trail  going  thither,  and  after  two  or  three  days 
of  leisurely  traveling,  the  braying  of  our  donkeys  told 
us  that  we  were  nearing  a  village. 

Looking  back  over  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  don- 
keys the  world  over,  I  maintain  that  the  little  one  of 
Corsica  could  easily  carry  off  the  prize  for  vocal  music. 
He  has  reduced  it  to  an  art  —  a  science,  a  profession; 
while  his  kind  elsewhere — whether  big  or  little,  erect- 
eared,  Soudanese  or  flabby-eared  —  are  only  amateurs. 
Silent  for  weeks  in  the  mountains,  he  reserves  his  efforts 
for  sympathetic  ears.  On  the  journey,  suddenly  the 
scent  of  donkey dom  comes  wafted  on  the  air.  At  once 
every  tail  in  the  train  hitches  slightly  up,  every  mouth 
opens  and  issues  a  note  of  happy  apprehension.  After 
a  few  minutes,  the  tails  rise  a  little  higher ;  also  the  note. 
As  we  approach  the  village,  the  intervals  grow  shorter, 
the  notes  longer;  we  are  entering  the  crowded  piazza; 
it  is  now  that  the,  orchestra  rises  to  its  majestic  height  in 
a  grand  and  long-sustained  climax.  I  know  they  are 
boasting : 

"  Lo  we  went  forth,  lone  donkeys ;  behold !  we  come 
now  each  with  another  on  his  back." 

59 


60  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

At  my  first  experience  of  this  kind  I  told  my  men  to 
stop  the  braying;  they  each  caught  hold  of  a  tail  and 
pulled  it  down;  those  donkeys  went  suddenly  and  sadly 
silent.  Alas!  the  voice  of  mine  rose  more  proudly,  and 
the  solo,  with  me  on  top,  made  the  assembled  crowd  so 
happy  that  after  that,  before  entering  a  village,  I  made 
my  men  tie  heavy  stones  to  the  donkeys'  tails. 

It  was  already  twilight  as  we  came  through  a  narrow 
street  into  a  little  piazza  where  the  natives,  and  two  or 
three  gendarmes,  were  loitering  around  the  rough  foun- 
tain. It  was  raining,  and  the  noise  of  distant  thunder 
gave  promise  of  a  bad  night.  I  looked  around  at  the 
houses,  but  they  only  recalled  unpleasant  memories,  so  I 
told  my  men  we  would  go  on  till  we  should  find  a  place 
to  camp  where  the  animals  could  graze. 

''  Bene  Signore"  one  said,  "  I  know  a  place  a  few 
miles  from  here."  Without  stopping,  we  passed  by  the 
wondering  group.  The  night  closed  in;  the  rain  grew 
to  a  downpour.  We  had  gone  a  mile  or  two  from  the 
village  when  out  of  the  darkness  there  came  the  loud 
call:  "Arretes!"  and,  by  a  flash  of  lightning,  I  saw 
two  gendarmes  running  up  from  behind.  One  of  them 
managed  to  light  a  lantern,  and  holding  it  up  to  look  at 
me,  '*  Who  are  you  ?  "  he  asked. 

**  I  am  a  traveler  going  to  Ajaccio." 

"  Where  do  you  come  from  ?  " 

*'  From  Monte  Cinto." 

**  You  are  not  a  Corsican." 

**  No,  I  am  an  American." 

**  Why  did  you  not  stop  for  the  night  in  that  village, 
since  it  is  far  to  another?" 

"  Because  I  prefer  to  faire  bivouac." 

" Bien!    I  arrest  you;  come  with  me." 

It  began  to  look  serious. 


BY  DONKEY  TO  AJACCIO  61 

**  You  are  not  on  duty.  You  have  no  gendarme's  hat," 
I  answered  at  a  venture. 

He  turned  to  his  companion  and  took  from  him  the 
proper  covering.    Then  I  ventured  again: 

"  Where  is  your  saber  ?  " 

He  showed  the  hilt. 

Then  remembering  my  passport,  I  held  it  out. 

*'  If  you  will  look  at  this,  you  will  see  that  I  am  an 
American  traveler." 

It  was  a  formidable  document  to  be  studied  in  a  thun- 
derstorm. The  three  folio  pages  had  been  filled  with 
German,  French,  and  Italian  vises,  and  had  then  been 
folded  and  bound  in  with  a  booklet  whose  leaves  were 
now  half-filled  with  more  vises.  The  brigadier  looked  it 
carefully  through,  evidently  tracing  the  route  of  my 
travels. 

"  When  did  you  leave  Genoa  ?  " 

**  I  have  never  been  in  Genoa." 

Then  he  questioned  my  men,  who  told  him  that  they  had 
been  with  me  for  more  than  two  months  and  that  they 
had  been  engaged  for  me  under  instructions  from  the 
Chief  Forester  of  Corsica.  This  tallied  roughly  with 
my  vise  at  Bastia,  and  the  brigadier  apologized  for  hav- 
ing stopped  me.  Then  he  explained  that  he  had  instruc- 
tions to  look  out  for  an  Italian  who  had  been  connected 
with  an  uprising  in  Genoa  three  weeks  before;  and  so 
he  let  me  go  my  way,  and,  much  bedraggled,  went  back 
to  what  he  doubtless  thought  more  comfortable  quarters 
than  I  should  have  for  such  a  night. 

After  we  had  ridden  slowly  for  half  an  hour  through 
a  drenching  rain,  a  flash  of  lightning  showed  a  grassy 
field  with  scattered  trees  and,  just  beyond  and  deep  be- 
low, the  sea.  It  is  still  vividly  before  me,  that  scene  of 
wild  grandeur  flanked   for  a  second  out  of  the  dark 


62  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

unknown.  This  field  was  our  camping  place.  The  men 
said  we  must  leave  before  daybreak,  because  the  trees 
were  chestnuts  and  the  owners  would  come  before  day- 
light from  a  village  farther  on  to  gather  the  fallen  nuts. 
So  turning  the  donkeys  loose  to  graze,  we  three  threw 
ourselves  down  in  the  deep  grass  to  sleep,  with  small  pros- 
pects of  a  restful  night. 

We  had  only  just  lain  down,  when  there  came  a  flash 
and  a  crash  so  deafening  and  blinding  that  I  sprang  to 
my  feet  in  terror,  and  threw  my  hammer  far  from  me  lest 
it  might  attract  the  lightning.  Then  I  stood  fascinated 
by  the  mingled  terror  and  mysterious  magnificence  of  the 
elements  at  work.  Each  vivid  flash  showed  the  whole 
outline  of  the  coast,  its  cliffs  and  rugged  mountains  on 
one  side,  and  the  far-reaching  sea  on  the  other.  And 
between  these  flashes  sounded  the  deafening  boom  and 
crash  of  thunder.  Wet  through  and  with  only  my  cloak 
for  bedding  and  cover,  I  lay  down,  and  fatigue  brought 
sleep. 

The  dark  was  dense  when  the  men  waked  me.  We 
spread  out  to  advance  in  a  line  to  find  the  donkeys,  but 
after  we  had  advanced  only  a  few  yards,  a  flash  of  light- 
ning showed  that  we  were  within  a  few  feet  of  the  brink 
of  the  cliff;  we  saw  in  that  instant  the -sea  hundreds  of 
feet  below  us,  and  heard  the  roar  of  the  breakers  dash- 
ing against  the  rocks ;  only  a  step  from  the  real  unknown, 
and  a  fit  ending  of  this  adventurous  night.  The  storm 
was  over,  but  by  the  light  of  occasional  flashes  we  got 
together  the  donkeys  and  went  our  way. 

At  Ajaccio  I  found  a  comfortable  inn  and  a  good 
dinner. 

The  next  day  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  young  head  of  the  Pozzo  di  Borgo 
family.     He  was  perhaps  two  or  three  years  older  than 


BY  DONKEY  TO  AJACCIO  68 

I;  and  during  my  stay  at  Ajaccio,  we  were  together 
much  of  the  time. 

He  took  me  to  see  the  house  of  the  Bonapartes,  in 
which  Napoleon  I  was  born.  I  remember  it  as  being  two 
or  three  stories  high,  and  roomy,  but  bare  of  furniture, 
and  unoccupied.  Taking  me  through  it,  Pozzo  di  Borgo 
opened  a  door,  and  entering  said: 

"  In  this  room  Napoleon  was  born." 

Here  was  the  beginning  of  the  drama  on  whose  scenes 
the  curtain  fell  at  Moscow  —  Waterloo,  Vienna,  and 
Sedan. 

Pozzo  di  Borgo  told  me  of  much  that  preceded  the 
birth  of  Napoleon.  The  father.  Carlo  Bonaparte,  had 
voted  with  Paoli  for  war  with  France,  against  annexa- 
tion. The  French  troops  were  advancing  across  the 
island,  and  the  Bonapartes  with  other  principal  families 
had  to  flee  for  safety.  Letitia  —  the  mother  —  was  ex- 
pecting the  child  that  was  to  be  Napoleon.  They  fled  to 
Monte  Rotondo  and  lived  there  among  the  shepherds  till 
Corsica  had  submitted  to  annexation,  then  they  were  al- 
lowed to  return  to  their  homes;  but  they  had  to  go  by 
rough  ways  through  the  mountains,  at  times  having  to 
wade  across  dangerous  streams.  In  Letitia  Bonaparte's 
condition,  only  a  woman  of  strength  and  courage  could 
have  succeeded  in  preserving  the  fateful  life  she  carried. 
On  such  a  delicate  thread  hung  the  destinies  of  nations. 

The  Corsican  Brutus 

Gregorovius  tells  of  another  incident  that  happened 
near  Ajaccio.  It  is  of  tragedy  whose  terrible  pathos 
throws  again  a  light  on  the  stern  moral  nature  of  the 
Corsican  mountaineer.  I  abbreviate  it  from  Gregoro- 
vius's  narrative. 


64  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

During  the  Genoese  rule,  two  grenadiers  of  a  French- 
Flemish  auxiliary  regiment  deserted  and  fled  to  hide  in 
the  mountains  of  Alata,  near  Ajaccio,  where  they  claimed 
the  compassion  and  hospitality  of  the  poor  herdsmen. 

"  Sacred  are  the  rights  of  hospitality.  He  who  violates 
them  before  God  and  man  is,  by  the  time-hallowed  usage 
of  our  fathers,  a  Cain." 

When  spring  was  come,  some  officers  of  the  Flemish 
regiment,  hunting  on  these  mountains,  came  near  the 
hiding  place  of  the  two  fugitives.  The  latter,  seeing  the 
huntsmen,  crouched  behind  a  rock.  A  young  herdsman 
was  pasturing  his  goats  near  the  spot;  M.  de  Nozieres, 
colonel  of  the  regiment,  went  to  him  and  asked  him 
whether  there  were  possibly  some  fugitive  grenadiers 
hidden  in  these  mountains. 

**  I  do  not  know,"  said  the  herdsman,  and  seemed  em- 
barrassed. M.  de  Nozieres,  made  suspicious  by  his  man- 
ner, threatened  him  with  immediate  imprisonment  if  he 
did  not  tell  the  truth.  Then  Joseph  was  terrified ;  he  said 
nothing,  but  pointed  tremblingly  to  the  place  where  the 
poor  deserters  were  hidden.  The  officer  did  not  under- 
stand him.  **  Speak ! "  he  thundered  at  him.  Joseph 
would  not  speak,  but  pointed  again.  The  officer  hastened 
to  the  place.  The  two  grenadiers  sprang  up  and  fled, 
but  were  overtaken  and  secured. 

M.  de  Nozieres  gave  Joseph  four  bright,  golden  louis 
d'ors  for  his  information.  The  young  herdsman,  on 
holding  the  gold  pieces  in  his  hand,  forgot  in  a  childish 
rapture,  officers,  grenadiers,  and  the  whole  world  besides ; 
for  he  had  never  seen  pure  gold.  He  ran  into  his 
father's  cabin,  and  called  together  his  father,  mother, 
and  brothers,  and,  distracted  with  joy,  showed  his 
treasure. 

"  How  did  you  come  by  this  gold,  my  son  Joseph  ?  "  the 


BY  DONKEY  TO  AJACCIO  65 

old  herdsman  asked.  The  son  told  what  had  happened. 
At  every  word  that  he  spoke,  his  father's  countenance 
became  darker,  and  his  brothers  were  horrified  and  when 
Joseph  had  finished  his  story,  the  father  was  pale  as 
death. 

'*  Sacred  are  the  rights  of  hospitality.  He  who  vio- 
lates them  before  God  and  man  is,  by  the  time-hallowed 
usage  of  our  fathers,  a  Cain." 

The  old  herdsman  cast  a  terrible  glance  at  his  son,  and 
went  out  of  the  cabin.  He  called  his  whole  kin  together, 
he  laid  the  whole  case  before  them,  and  called  them  to 
pronounce  sentence  on  his  son:  for  the  latter  appeared 
to  him  to  be  a  traitor,  and  to  have  brought  shame  on  his 
whole  clan  and  nation. 

The  Court  of  Kinsmen  unanimously  pronounced  sen- 
tence that  Joseph  deserved  death. 

"  Woe  is  me  and  my  son ! "  the  old  man  cried  in  de- 
spair.    "  Woe  to  my  wife  that  she  bore  me  this  Judas! " 

The  kinsmen  went  to  Joseph,  and  led  him  to  a  lonely 
place  near  the  city  wall  of  Ajaccio. 

"  Wait  here,"  said  the  old  herdsman ;  "  I  will  go  to 
the  commander;  I  will  beg  for  the  life  of  the  two  gren- 
adiers.    Let  their  life  be  life  to  my  son  also." 

The  old  man  went  to  M.  de  Nozieres.  He  threw  him- 
self on  his  knees  and  begged  for  the  pardon  of  the  two 
soldiers.  The  officer  regarded  him  with  astonishment,  at 
the  compassion  of  a  herdsman,  who  wept  so  bitterly  for 
two  strange  soldiers.  But  he  told  him  that  the  deserters 
deserved  death,  for  so  it  was  ordained  by  the  law. 

The  old  man  rose  and  went  away  weeping. 

He  came  back  to  the  wall  where  the  kinsmen  stood 
with  poor  Joseph. 

'*  It  is  in  vain,"  he  said.  *'  My  son  Joseph,  thou  must 
die.    Die  like  a  brave  man,  and  farewell !  " 


66  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Poor  Joseph  wept;  but  then  became  tranquil  and  col- 
lected. A  priest  had  been  sent  for,  and  received  his  con- 
fession, and  gave  him  spiritual  consolation. 

It  was  the  very  hour  when  the  two  deserters  were  be- 
ing beaten  to  death  with  rods.  Poor  Joseph  placed  him- 
self against  the  wall;  the  kinsmen  aimed  well,  and  Jo- 
seph was  dead. 

Then  the  old  father,  weeping  bitterly,  took  the  four 
bright  loiiis  d'ors,  and  gave  them  to  the  priest,  saying  to 
him :  "  Go  to  the  commander,  and  say  to  him :  *  Sir, 
here  is  your  Judas  wages  back  again.  We  are  poor  and 
honest  men,  and  have  executed  justice  upon  him  who 
received  it  from  your  hand.' " 

*'  Sacred  are  the  rights  of  hospitality.  He  who  violates 
them  before  God  and  man  is  by  the  time-hallowed  usage 
of  our  fathers,  a  Cain." 


I 


CHAPTER  IX 
CHANCE  DETERMINES  MY  CAREER 

One  day  early  in  September,  on  returning  from  a 
rambling  journey  through  southern  Corsica,  upon  which 
I  had  proceeded  on  leaving  Ajaccio,  the  diligence  landed 
me  in  Bastia,  and  I  immediately  went  to  the  English  Con- 
sul. He  had  begun  to  be  anxious  about  my  long  absence ; 
we  went  together  to  the  banker  who  had  advanced  me 
money,  and  I  gave  a  draft  for  the  amount  and  took  my 
letter  of  credit. 

I  had  seen  from  Bastia  the  islands  of  Elba  and  Monte 
Cristo,  and  the  Consul  had  told  me  of  the  iron  mines  on 
the  former,  in  one  of  which  the  ore  was  lodestone.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  it  would  be  good  to  go  there  on  my 
way :  it  was  only  a  few  hours'  sail.  So  I  hired  a  fishing 
boat  and  set  out  in  the  morning.  There  was  a  good 
breeze,  and  for  two  or  three  hours  we  sped  along  beauti- 
fully. We  should  soon  be  there,  the  fisherman  said. 
Then  the  wind  dropped,  and  there  came  a  dead  calm. 
The  sky  was  clear,  the  burning  heat  of  the  sun  enveloped 
us ;  there  was  no  shade  under  the  flapping  sail.  I  sought 
refuge  in  the  little  cabin,  but  found  it  still  worse. 

When  time  for  the  noon  meal  came,  the  men  brought 
out  a  dried  codfish,  and  some  bread  and  oranges  and  a 
gourd  of  wine.  The  codfish  was  dipped  into  the  sea 
and  laid  flat  on  the  deck,  and  the  upper  side  scraped  to 
clean  it;  then  it  was  turned  over,  with  the  cleaned  side 
on  the  quite  dirty  deck,  to  clean  the  other  side;  then  it 

67 


68  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

was  ready  to  be  eaten  raw.     This  was  our  dinner.     I 
thought  it  would  do,  I  should  have  a  good  supper  on  Elba. 

We  were  nearly  four  days  standing  still  on  that  spot; 
ten  meals  of  raw  codfish,  sour  wine  and  stale  bread. 
The  intense  heat  in  the  motionless  air,  after  months  of 
life  in  the  cool  breezes  of  the  high  mountains,  was  un- 
bearable. During  all  this  time,  Elba  and  Monte  Cristo 
were  tantalizingly  before  me.  The  first  day  I  decided  to 
visit  both  islands;  by  the  third  I  felt  that  Elba  would 
satisfy  my  ambition. 

However,  the  early  morning  of  the  fourth  day  brought 
a  breeze  which  landed  us  on  Elba. 

I  have  always  been  glad  that  I  made  this  trip,  for  al- 
though I  knew  nothing  about  iron  mines,  I  already  had 
the  habit  of  observing  carefully,  and  I  carried  away  a 
pretty  good  idea  of  the  manner  of  occurrence  of  the  two 
important  varieties  of  ore  —  the  specular  in  one  part  of 
the  island,  and  the  magnetic  at  Calameta.  These  were 
the  first  mines  that  I  had  seen. 

I  have  forgotten  in  what  way  I  reached  Leghorn,  but 
I  went  at  once  to  the  Consulate.  The  Consul  was  at  his 
desk  as  I  handed  him  my  passport  to  get  his  vise.  He 
looked  at  it  and  then  jumped  up  and  faced  me. 

"  Young  man  do  you  know  that  the  police  have  been 
looking  for  you  for  months  throughout  Europe  ?  '* 

I  was  struck  almost  dumb,  and  could  only  stammer, 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean." 

**  I  mean  that  you  went  away  from  your  mother  for  a 
day,  and  without  sending  her  any  word  you  have  been 
God  knows  where  for  four  months.  You  carried  ofif  the 
family  letter  of  credit,  and  because  the  London  banker 
has  repeatedly  written  that  he  has  had  no  drafts  from 
you,  your  mother  has  at  last  concluded  that  you  are  dead. 
That's  what  I  mean." 


CHANCE  DETERMINES  MY  CAREER      69 

The  tears  came  to  my  eyes,  as  I  told  him  of  the  two 
letters  I  had  written  in  my  first  days  in  Corsica,  and  of 
others  that  I  had  intrusted  to  shepherds  to  send  via 
Bastia  to  Florence. 

"Well,  they  never  arrived,  and  your  poor  mother  is 
distracted." 

There  was  just  time  to  catch  the  train  for  Florence. 

In  a  state  of  great  and  remorseful  agitation,  I  rang  the 
bell  at  the  Pension  Molini.  The  maid  who  opened  the 
door  started  back  with  an  exclamation.  Kind,  old 
Madame  Molini,  who  was  near,  rushed  forward  to  as- 
sure herself  that  it  was  really  I  in  my  very  shabby 
clothes. 

**  Your  poor  mother,"  she  said  with  tears  running  down 
her  cheeks,  ''  is  in  the  garden.  She  sits  there  all  day  by 
herself.  She  must  not  see  you  till  I  shall  have  prepared 
her." 

So  I  waited.  It  was  some  time  before  Madame  Molini 
came  back.  '*  You  can  go  now,"  she  said,  "  I  have 
broken  the  news  gently,  there  will  be  no  shock." 

My  dear  mother:  how  well  I  remember  how  she  put 
her  arms  around  me  and  looked  at  me  through  tears  of 
joy.  Then  making  me  sit  by  her,  she  waited  for  the  ex- 
planation. 

I  told  her  of  my  letters,  and  why  no  drafts  had  gone 
to  London.  She  did  not  upbraid  me.  She  made  me 
stand,  and  looked  me  over. 

"  You  have  grown  since  you  left.  You  went  away  a 
boy.  I  think  you  have  come  back  a  man."  Then  she 
kissed  me. 

At  Vienna,  where  we  had  arrived  to  make  a  short 
stay  on  our  way  to  Germany,  we  thought  it  quite  time 
that  the  question  of  my  education  should  be  seriously 
considered.     A  day  or  two  after  our  arrival  there  was 


70  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

a  notice  in  the  morning  paper  of  the  meeting  of  a  society 
similar  to  our  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Sci- 
ence. Reading  that  the  sessions  were  open  to  the  public, 
I  strolled  over  to  listen.  At  the  entrance  men  were  regis- 
tering their  names.  I  asked  an  old  gentleman  if  I,  being 
a  foreigner,  should  register.  He  asked  if  I  were  a  nat- 
uralist, to  which  I  replied  that  I  was  not,  but  that  I  was 
much  interested  in  geology.  He  told  me  to  enter  my 
name  and  take  a  card.  Then  he  made  me  go  in  and  sit 
by  him.  During  the  rather  long  interval  before  the 
opening  of  the  session,  he  asked  where  I  had  studied 
geology.  I  answered  that  I  had  had  no  formal  instruc- 
tion, but  an  interest  in  it  had  led  me  to  learn  what  I 
could  by  observation  and  collecting  among  the  Jurassic 
strata  of  Hanover,  in  the  tertiary  basin  of  Paris,  and  in 
the  volcanic  field  around  Naples.  I  said  that  I  had  spent 
several  months  observing  among  the  porphyries  of  Cor- 
sica. I  added  that  my  knowledge  was  limited  to  what 
I  had  been  able  to  observe,  as  I  knew  nothing  of  min- 
eralogy except  the  names  and  appearances  of  a  few  min- 
erals. 

My  notebook  was  in  my  pocket,  and  I  showed  some 
of  my  simple  sketches  of  details,  and  one  in  which  I  had 
tried  to  represent  in  an  ideal  manner  the  relative  ages 
of  the  different  dikes  of  intrusive  rocks  in  Corsica.  My 
new  friend  seemed  much  interested,  and  remarked  that 
it  was  a  good  way  to  begin.  After  that  he  asked  many 
questions  about  my  life  in  Corsica.  When  the  session 
was  about  to  open,  he  handed  me  his  card  and  took  mine. 
He  said  he  was  Professor  of  Geology  in  the  University 
of  Bonn,  and  he  added  that  he  hoped  to  see  me  at  times 
during  the  days  of  the  meeting.  His  card  bore  the  name 
of  Noeggerath,  the  great  geologist. 

During    the    following    days    Professor    Noeggerath 


CHANCE  DETERMINES  MY  CAREER      71 

showed  me  much  kindness,  taking  pains  to  explain  many 
things  that  were  being  exhibited  at  the  meeting. 

Professor  Noeggarath  advised  me  to  go  to  the  Royal 
Mining  Academy  at  Freiberg  in  Saxony.  He  said  the 
instruction  in  geology,  mineralogy,  and  chemistry  was 
of  the  best.  After  talking  it  over  with  my  mother  I 
accepted  his  advice,  which  was  already  very  much  to  my 
mind,  and  it  marked  a  crucial  point  in  my  life.  For  had 
I  not  met  Professor  Noeggerath  I  should  probably  have 
gone  to  a  university.  Had  I  done  so,  my  wish  for  a 
wider  general  education  would,  with  my  interest  in  the 
past,  have  probably  led  me  to  concentrate  on  history  and 
ancient  literature.  In  any  event  the  whole  trend  of  my 
life  and  all  that  that  means,  would  have  been  entirely 
different.  All  this  was  determined  by  seeing  a  notice  in 
a  newspaper  and  by  a  casual  question  put  to  a  kindly  old 
gentleman.  I  will  paraphrase  the  Corsican  injunction 
for  hospitality  and  say:  Sacred  are  the  obligations  of 
courtesy  and  kindness  to  the  stranger. 

My  mother  and  I  left  Vienna  to  go  to  Dresden,  the 
nearest  railway  station  to  Freiberg.  It  was  just  a  year 
since  the  day  I  had  left  Vienna  before. 

At  Dresden  I  parted  from  my  dear  mother.  She  had 
been  a  comrade  in  many  excursions.  Her  unbounded 
faith  in  me,  though  not  always  justified,  made  for  good 
in  me,  and  her  poetic  nature  and  sympathy  with  my  as- 
pirations tended  strongly  to  develop  both  the  imagina- 
tive side  in  me  and  earnestness  of  purpose. 

I  remember  well  her  last  command,  given  between 
tears  and  kisses: 

'*  My  dear  boy,  whatever  your  work  is  to  be,  aim  for 
the  highest  in  your  profession,  and  for  honesty  in  your 
conduct  through  life." 


CHAPTER  X 

STUDENT  DAYS  AND  PRANKS  AT 
FREIBERG 

Freiberg  has  been  an  active  mining  center  certainly 
since  the  twelfth  century,  and  probably  much  longer. 
On  its  square,  stand  houses  said  to  have  been  built  six 
hundred  years  ago  over  old  mines.  The  ground  under 
it,  and  under  its  surroundings,  is  honeycombed  with  six 
hundred  miles  of  galleries.  A  large  part  of  this  was  done 
before  the  use  of  powder.  In  my  time  one  could  enter 
galleries  whose  sides  and  roofs  were  hewed  with  hammer 
and  point  to  a  straight,  even  surface.  Within  a  radius 
of  a  few  miles,  there  were  still  operating  a  number  of 
large  mines  producing  silver,  copper,  lead,  and  zinc  ores. 
Near  the  town  were  extensive  works  preparing  the  ores 
for  the  local  smelting  works.  These  mines  were  deep, 
I  think  one  had  reached  a  depth  of  about  2,000  feet. 
When  I  arrived  they  were  accessible  only  by  ladders. 
Before  I  left  the  miners  came  out  on  man-engines. 
These  were  made  by  bracketing  little  steps  on  the  great 
hewed  beams  that  formed  the  rods  of  the  Cornish  pumps. 
When  one  rod  went  up,  the  other  went  down;  in  the 
instance  of  pause  you  stepped  across  onto  the  correspond- 
ing step  on  the  other  rod,  and  rose  perhaps  six  feet ;  and 
so  back  and  forth  holding  onto  an  iron  near  your  head, 
in  the  rod.     I  think  this  was  the  first  form  of  man-engine. 

I  hear  now  that  the  mining  industry  at  Freiberg  has 
come  to  an  end,  through  exhaustion  of  ores,  it  is  said. 

72 


STUDENT  DAYS  AND  PRANKS    73 

The  quaint  old  town,  from  which  so  many  memories 
have  been  carried  to  all  quarters  of  the  globe,  will  be- 
long to  the  past ;  but  in  the  dark  recess  beneath,  will  still 
be  heard  the  hammers  of  the  gnomes,  and  there  will  al- 
ways wander  the  ghosts  of  long  generations  of  miners. 

In  this  quaint  old  mining  town,  I  spent  three  of  the 
happiest  years  of  my  life.  Here  as  a  student  of  geology 
and  mining  I  laid  the  foundation  for  that  expert  knowl- 
edge which  made  possible  my  long  career  as  a  mining 
engineer  in  my  own  country  and  in  foreign  lands. 

Life-long  friendships  were  formed  with  students  from 
many  countries.  The  professors,  in  our  social  gather- 
ings and  in  the  many  excursions  to  neighboring  regions, 
were  delightfully  informal  and  companionable.^ 

Much  time  was  spent  in  the  mines,  observing  the  prac- 
tical application  of  our  lessons  in  mining,  the  manner  of 
occurrence  of  the  ores,  and  the  vein  structure. 

In  the  first  year  we  had  to  descend  nearly  2,000  feet 
on  almost  vertical  ladders  and,  what  was  harder  of 
course,  to  climb  out  by  the  same  route.  To  protect  the 
head  from  objects  dropped  from  persons  climbing  above 
us,  we  wore  stiff  caps  of  very  thick  felt. 

I  saw  very  soon  that  my  previous  training  in  mathe- 
matics had  been  woefully  slighted,  and  that  this  would 
be  a  serious  handicap.     Something  drastic  had  to  be  done 

1  The  startling  changes  in  the  demeanor  and  spirit  of  all  classes 
of  society  which  I  noted  on  a  visit  to  Germany  nearly  fifty  years 
later  would  have  made  the  admirable  condition  described  in  the 
text  impossible.  In  my  time  the  men  who  had  made  Germany 
preeminent  in  pure  science  were  teaching  unhampered  by  politics. 
Now,  there  had  been  made  a  great  change  in  the  methods  and 
aims  of  education.  Many  of  the  greater  minds  had  been  brought 
to  the  enlarged  University  of  Berlin  where,  as  among  the  lower 
schools  of  Germany,  tactfully  and  through  the  bestowing  of 
titles,  education  was  gradually  both  commercialized  and  diverted 
to  further  the  aim  of  Empire  expansion  that  culminated  in  the 
Great  War. 


74  RAPHAEL  PUIVIPELLY 

at  once,  or  I  should  not  be  able  to  take  even  the  courses 
in  sun^eying  and  elementary  physics.  Private  lessons 
would  be  necessary,  and  there  was  no  time  for  these  dur- 
ing the  day.  There  came  to  me  the  remembrance  of  how 
my  friend  Dunham  and  I  had  read  Latin  every  morning, 
from  four  o'clock  on,  in  New  Haven.  So  \^^th  some 
difficulty  I  found  a  German  student  who  was  so  des- 
perately in  need  of  money  as  to  be  \snlling  to  tackle  such 
a  job.  It  seemed  easy  to  me.  Perhaps  he  thought  so 
too.  I  planned  to  get  up  at  three,  have  a  cold  bath,  and 
be  ready  at  four.  That  too  seemed  easy  —  when  I  went 
to  bed.  The  first  morning,  a  continuous  succession  of 
loud  knockings  brought  me  to  the  door,  and  to  a  realiza- 
tion that  it  was  four  o'clock.  After  this  had  happened 
several  times,  I  hired  a  young  man  whose  business  it  was 
to  bring  my  tub  of  water  at  three-thirty,  pull  off  my 
blankets,  carry  them  away,  and  see  to  the  fire  in  the  big 
porcelain  stove ;  all  this  under  pain  of  quick  dismissal. 

This  worked;  as  a  darkey  would  say,  it  was 
*•  oble^ed  "  to  work :  the  cold  water  waked  me,  and  cof- 
fee kept  us  both  awake.  The  tutor  was  much  better  as  a 
teacher  than  I  as  a  pupil.  He  didn't  succeed  in  making 
a  mathematician  of  me,  but  he  did,  during  the  nearly 
three  years  we  kept  this  up,  make  it  possible  for  me  to 
follow  the  courses  profitably,  though  by  dint  of  much  re- 
viewing by  myself,  because  I  lacked  the  necessary  kind 
of  a  memory.     We  had  to  work  at  a  too  rapid  pace. 

One  laughable  incident  will  illustrate  the  indulgence 
with  which  students  and  student  pranks  were  treated  at 
this  institution. 

There  was  an  American  student,  of  German  descent, 
who  supplied  the  community  with  some  serio-comic  ex- 
citement. He  was  a  remarbable  marksman  with  the 
pistoL    His  room  was  in  the  rear  of  the  house  he  lived 


STUDENT  DAYS  AND  PRANKS     75 

in,  and  there  were  two  large  courtyards  between  his  win- 
dows and  the  opposite  houses.  It  amused  him  to  pick 
out,  with  balls  from  his  pistol,  the  panes  of  glass  in  the 
windows  of  one  of  these  houses.  One  day,  seeing  a 
woman  hanging  out  a  wash  to  dry,  he  fired  and  cut  the 
clothes-line.  The  woman,  frightened  and  bewildered  at 
the  sight  of  the  clothes  on  the  ground,  hesitated,  but 
bravely  set  to  work  and  restored  the  line,  only  to  have  it 
broken  again  at  her  side;  then  she  fled. 

The  neighbors,  in  the  rear,  watched  while  this  prac- 
tising continued  several  days,  and  at  last  succeeded  in 
locating  the  culprit.  He  was  arrested  and  tried.  The 
case  was  so  out  of  the  order  of  events  in  the  staid  Ger- 
man community,  that  the  court  room  was  crowded.  We 
all  went  there,  but  I  remember  only  one  incident.  The 
prisoner,  who  took  the  whole  proceeding  as  a  joke,  sat, 
with  his  legs  crossed,  in  a  chair  at  the  edge  of  a  raised 
platform  near  his  advocate,  who  was  arguing  in  defense. 
When  the  lawyer,  producing  his  strongest  plea,  said: 
"  It  must  be  remembered  that  this  gentleman  comes  from 
a  land  where  even  the  principal  cities,  New  York  and 
Boston,  are  surrounded  by  savage  Indians,  and  where 
every  man  and  woman  is  obliged  to  carry  firearms  in 
self-defense.  It  is  quite  natural,  where  all  become  un- 
erringly skilful,  like  this  young  gentleman,  that  the  use 
of  firearms  is  thought  proper  in  practical  jokes." 

At  this  point  the  defendant,  who  was  sitting  with  his 
chair  tilted,  burst  out  with  laughter,  lost  his  balance, 
and  went  over  backward  off  the  dais  onto  the  floor.  He 
got  off  with  a  fine. 


CHAPTER  XI 

ANOTHER  SUMMER  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 
OF  CORSICA 

I  WISHED  to  spend  the  vacation  of  the  summer  of 
1857  in  the  mountains  of  Corsica,  making  the  journey  via 
Paris.  I  wanted  to  study  the  geology  of  the  island,  in 
the  light  of  knowledge  I  had  obtained  during  the  past 
year.  I  had,  too,  a  longing  for  the  wild  life,  and  for 
adventure. 

I  had  seen  many  mouflons  and  deer,  and  these  added  to 
the  temptation:  for  they  were  not  allowed  to  be  shot. 

A  few  years  before  my  visit,  the  French  Government, 
in  its  attempt  to  stop  the  vendetta,  had  forbidden  the 
use,  or  even  the  possession,  of  firearms.  The  only  ex- 
ceptions were  the  soldiers  and  gendarmerie,  and  Prince 
Pierre  Bonaparte  who  lived  there  in  exile.  For  every 
one  else,  the  penalty  was  the  galleys. 

I  had  noticed  that  some  of  the  shepherds  had  guns, 
but  no  ammunition.  So  I  managed  to  smuggle  in  as 
much  powder  and  lead  as  I  dared  to  carry,  trusting  to 
finding  bullet-molds  among  my  friends.  Fortunately  my 
examination  at  the  Customs  in  Bastia  was  confined  to 
questioning  as  to  whether  I  had  spirits  or  tobacco.  For- 
tunately, too,  I  found  the  men  who  had  been  my  guides 
in  the  previous  year,  and  who  were  glad  to  go  with  me. 

In  a  bergerie  where  I  was  welcomed  as  an  acquaintance 
of  the  previous  year,  I  found  that  they  had  some  anti- 
quated guns.    The  eyes  of  the  shepherds  opened,  with 

76 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA       77 

alternate  delight  and  hesitation,  at  the  sight  of  the  small 
store  of  gunpowder  and  lead  that  I  showed  them.  They 
hunted  up  molds  and  we  made  bullets. 

Above  us  towered  a  lofty  mountain,  with  large  fields  of 
snow  on  its  upper  northern  side.  Below  us  was  a  deep 
gorge,  with  precipitous  sides,  but  which,  nearer  to  the 
sea,  opened  out  into  a  still  narrow  but  wooded  valley. 

Above  us  were  flocks  of  mouflons.  The  valley  below 
abounded  in  deer. 

We  climbed  the  mountain  and  after  much  search  saw 
a  troop  of  mouflons  grazing  below  the  snow.  They  were, 
however,  out  of  range,  and  the  wind  was  in  the  wrong 
direction.  We  made  a  descent  and  a  long  detour  to  get 
into  a  better  position.  After  much  climbing  and  creep- 
ing we  caught  glimpses  of  them  almost  within  range; 
then,  just  as  we  were  ready  to  fire,  we  heard  a  sound 
between  a  cry  and  a  whistle,  and  saw  the  whole  troop 
scamper  away.  The  men  pointed  out  a  solitary  mouflon 
standing  on  a  distant  eminence;  this  one  they  said  was 
a  sentinel,  and  that  one  was  always  placed  to  watch. 

The  shepherds  proposed  a  battue  for  deer  in  the  valley 
below  us.  About  seven  or  eight  miles  down  the  valley 
it  was  crossed  by  the  road  along  the  coast.  The  plan  was 
to  send  men  down  to  near  the  road,  to  drive  the  deer  up 
the  valley  to  where  it  narrowed  into  a  canyon.  Here  we 
should  be  able  to  intercept  the  game.  Near  the  road 
were  two  high  points  from  which  any  one  moving  on  the 
road  could  be  seen.  To  each  of  these  points  a  man  was 
sent  to  pile  materials  for  a  fire,  to  make  a  column  of 
smoke  in  case  of  danger.  A  lookout  was  placed  above 
our  position  to  watch  for  the  signal. 

After  waiting  a  long  time,  several  of  the  small  Corsican 
deer  came  running  towards  us.  We  were  three,  with 
guns,  and  all  of  us  fired.    The  deer  stopped,  whirled 


78  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

about,  and,  before  we  could  reload,  disappeared  up  the 
gentler  slopes  of  the  valley  below  the  gorge. 

At  the  same  time  came  a  shout  of  warning  from  the 
lookout  above,  who  had  seen  a  smoke  signal.  We 
hastened  back  to  the  hergerie,  where  the  shepherds  lost 
no  time  in  carefully  hiding  their  guns  among  the  rocks. 

Soon  the  men  who  had  driven  the  game  came  in,  fol- 
lowed later  by  the  sentinels,  who  reported  having  seen 
two  gendarmes  moving  on  the  road. 

The  next  day  one  of  my  guides  told  me  that  I  had  not 
done  wisely  to  bring  ammunition  among  these  people. 
Only  its  absence  prevented  fatal  results  in  quarrels. 

That  night  I  wandered  away  from  the  bergerie,  and 
scattered  my  powder  to  the  winds,  and  buried  the  lead. 

Thus  ended  my  plan  for  hunting  mouflon  and  deer. 
It  had,  however,  been  an  experience.  It  dawned  on  me 
also  that  geologizing  and  hunting  such  watchful  game 
were  not  entirely  congruous. 

My  chief  reason  for  visiting  the  mountains  was  to 
study  the  porphyries,  as  well  as  some  phenomena  I  had 
seen  the  year  before,  which,  after  reading  Agassiz^s  work 
on  the  Swiss  glaciers,  I  now  thought  might  be  traces  of 
extinct  glacial  activity. 

It  was  in  the  valleys  in  the  Niolo  below  Mount  Baglia 
Orba,  that  I  found  what  I  felt  sure  were  traces  of  glacial 
action.  Here  at  the  foot  of  Baglia  Orba,  in  the  Viro 
valley,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  river  Golo,  the  un- 
weathered  surfaces  of  the  hard  porphyries  were  rounded 
off,  grooved  and  striated  in  a  manner  to  be  explained 
only  by  the  action  of  moving  ice.  Below  this  the  river 
had  deepened  its  channel  along  the  edge  of  a  moraine 
which  filled  the  valley  to  a  height  of  lOO  feet  above  the 
■rushing  waters. 

We  almost  always  slept  under  the  stars  wherever  night- 


> 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CORSICA        79 

fall  or  fatigue  suggested  a  halt.  Sometimes  we  claimed 
the  hospitality  of  the  shepherds.  I  remember  one  cold 
night  in  the  hut  of  a  hergerie.  The  smoke  was  suffocat- 
ing, and  the  fleas  more  attentive  than  usual.  Several 
times  that  night  I  went  out  into  the  frosty  moonlight  and 
stripped.  Each  garment  was  turned  inside  out,  shaken, 
and  thrown  to  a  distance,  till  I  stood  naked;  then  I 
scooped  the  fleas  off  from  my  skin,  and,  jumping  to  where 
lay  my  clothes,  dressed  and  returned  to  gather  a  fresh 
crop. 


CHAPTER  XII 
MY  "  TAME  "  MOUFLON 

September  was  far  advanced,  and  the  nights  were 
growing  cold  on  the  crest  of  the  range.  There  came  a 
night  when  I  awoke  to  find  myself  being  covered  with 
snow.  I  had  only  the  cloak  that  had  served,  the  previous 
year,  for  clothing  and  for  bedding.  There  was  no  shel- 
ter near  at  hand:  so  I  resigned  myself  to  the  inevitable. 
The  snow  was  dry;  I  covered  my  face  with  my  broad- 
brimmed  hat,  hoping  that  enough  snow  would  fall  to  keep 
me  warm;  it  did  —  until  a  morning  wind  d,rifted  it 
away.  We  made  a  stationary  camp  in  a  cave  near  a 
bergerie. 

Here  I  made  a  memorable  acquaintance  who  was  des- 
tined to  bring  me  into  many  embarrassing  situations. 
One  of  the  shepherds  had  a  mouflon.  The  animal  had 
been  captured  soon  after  birth.  He  had  been  nursed  by 
a  ewe,  and  had  grown  up  among  successive  generations 
of  tame  sheep.  He  had  been  treated  with  uniform  kind- 
ness, as  a  pet,  and  was  thoroughly  tame.  But  he  was  a 
ram,  and  was  probably  the  oldest  one  in  the  flock.  He 
was  big.  So  also  were  his  horns.  To  the  bucking  abil- 
ity of  the  tame  rams,  he  added  the  skill  of  countless  gen- 
erations of  wild  ancestors.  He  inspired  respect  not  only 
in  the  other  rams,  but  in  the  dogs  and  the  men. 

I  bought  him.  I  did  this  in  a  moment  of  youthful  in- 
experience, and  of  enthusiastic  anticipation  of  the  ad- 
miration to  be  aroused  on  his  introduction  to  European 
and  American  civilization. 

80 


MY  «  TAME  "  MOUFLON  81 

While  I  camped  by  the  hergerie,  I  cultivated  in  my 
mouflon  an  inspiring  interest,  if  not  affection,  toward 
myself,  by  dint  of  much  petting,  but  more  effectively  by 
liberal  feeding.  The  good  things  in  my  pockets  were  a 
source  of  unending  attraction.  So,  in  time,  I  could  not 
escape  from  him  except  by  tying  him  up.  If  I  hid  my- 
self, he  would  trace  me  out,  apparently  by  scent.  *  He 
came  like  a  dog  when  I  whistled. 

I  was  pleased.  The  other  students  went  around  glory- 
ing in  their  dogs;  I  foresaw  the  spectacular  effect  of  a 
mouflon  trotting  by  my  side. 

The  mouflon  is  one  of  the  several  varieties  of  wild 
sheep  that  live  near  the  snow  line  on  the  high  mountains 
of  Asia,  Africa,  and  America.  He  nearly  resembles  the 
bighorn  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  He  stands  between 
twenty-six  and  twenty-eight  inches  high,  with  horns 
curved  in  a  rather  flat  spiral.  The  body  is  covered  with 
a  silky  hair,  which  hides  the  wool  underneath.  His  close 
relationship  to  the  domestic  sheep  is  shown,  according  to 
Buffon,  by  the  fact  that  he  can  produce  with  it  a  fertile 
cross. 

The  mouflons  move  in  troops,  and  live  and  bring  forth 
their  young  on  the  snow,  descending,  during  the  day, 
below  the  snow  line  to  graze.  In  very  severe  winters, 
when  the  pasturage  is  wholly  covered  they  come  into  the 
villages  among  the  sheep  for  food. 

When  taken  soon  after  birth,  they  are  tame,  and,  if 
uniformly  well-treated,  remain  tolerably  docile,  but  can 
be  very  fiercely  aggressive  with  their  heavy  horns.  In 
climbing  they  are  more  agile  than  goats  and  can  jump 
horizontally  eighteen  or  twenty  feet. 

Their  cousin,  the  Ovis  Poll,  on  the  Pamirs  and  Hima- 
layas, is  much  larger,  with  horns  extending  far  outward 
in  a  pointed  spiral.     My  son  Raphael  saw,  on  the  Pamir, 


82  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

one  skull  with  horns  spreading  nearly  five  feet  across 
from  point  to  point. 

The  time  had  come  for  me  to  return  to  Freiberg. 
Again  I  was  to  leave  behind  me  the  care-free  life  of  the 
mountain  heights,  the  nights  under  the  starlit  heavens; 
the  majesty  of  the  mountains  illuminated  in  the  awful 
silerfce  of  the  moonlit  night.  No  more  should  I  be 
startled  from  sleep  by  the  echoing  crash  of  thunder  and 
the  blaze  of  lightning.  All  these  had  made  part  of  my 
life,  adding  mystery  to  the  romance.  Those  months  had 
been  full  of  adventure,  and  I  felt  that  they  had  been 
educationally  profitable.  I  had  carried  through  a  system- 
atic study  of  the  varied  porphyries  and  the  dikes  of  a 
large  region,  and  I  felt  a  youthful  pride  in  having  dis- 
covered traces  of  glaciers  at  a  point  farther  south  than 
before  known. 

I  may  add  that  when,  a  year  later,  I  showed  to  the 
eminent  French  geologist,  Cordier,  my  illustrations  of  the 
correlation  of  the  dikes,  he  pleased  me  by  asking  if  he 
might  publish  it,  if  I  did  not  intend  to  make  use  of  it 
myself. 

With  some  difficulty,  I  don't  remember  how,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  my  mouflon  and  my  rocks  to  the  main 
highway,  where  I  hired  transportation  to  Bastia. 

I  went  aboard  the  Leghorn  steamer.  I  tied  the 
mouflon  at  the  side  of  the  deck,  and  went  below  to  the 
noon  meal  just  as  the  boat  started,  but  hearing  a  great 
noise  on  the  deck  over  me,  I  rushed  up.  The  mouflon 
had  preferred  his  native  land  and  started  for  it.  He  was 
towing  at  the  length  of  his  rope  in  the  sea.  The  engine 
was  stopped  and  with  everybody's  help,  he  was  lifted 
aboard  and  tied  up  short.  He  seemed  resigned,  but 
kept  inquisitive  interviewers  at  a  respectful  distance. 

I  meant  to  go  to  Florence  for  a  few  days :  so  on  arriv- 


MY  «  TAME  "  MOUFLON  83 

3ng  at  Leghorn  I  asked  a  sailor  where  I  could  find  a 
place  to  board  the  animal. 

"  My  mother,  Signore,  would  take  good  care  of  him," 
he  answered. 

So,  getting  into  a  carriage  with  the  mouflon,  we  drove 
till  we  came  to  a  large  apartment  house,  where  we  climbed 
to  an  upper  floor  and  I  was  introduced  to  a  very  respecta- 
ble looking  woman. 

I  told  her  my  mission.  She  looked  at  the  animal  doubt- 
fully ;  and  he  hopefully  at  her.  She  gave  him  a  piece  of 
bread  from  the  table  by  her  side,  and  he  let  her  pet 
him. 

" E  carina!''  (he*s  a  dear)  she  said.  "Yes,  I  will 
take  good  care  of  him." 

"  But  where  can  you  keep  him,  have  you  a  yard  ?  "  I 
asked. 

She  led  me  into  the  hall  and  opened  a  door. 

**  Look  Signore;  here  will  I  keep  him." 

I  k)oked  into  a  room  about  twelve  feet  square.  It  was 
a  kitchen,  very  neat,  with  an  Italian  cooking  range.  A 
whole  batterie  of  copper  cooking  vessels  hung  on  the  wall ; 
and  there  were  shelves  with  crockery,  and,  under  these, 
numerous  receptacles  for  foodstuffs.  She  was  probably 
a  caterer. 

When  I  objected,  she  insisted: 

**  Have  no  fear,"  she  said ;  "  don't  I  promise  you  that 
you  shall  find  him  all  right  when  you  come?  Ah!  he  is 
so  gentle ! " 

So,  after  tying  the  mouflon  in  the  kitchen,  I  went 
on  my  way  with  a  light  heart.  Traveling  had  become 
easy. 

After  perhaps  a  week  in  Florence,  I  returned  to  Leg- 
horn, and  drove  to  get  the  mouflon.  As  I  left  the  car- 
riage, I  saw  the  old  woman  just  coming  out  of  the  house. 


84  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

As  soon  as  she  saw  me,  she  began  to  talk  and  gesticulate 
excitedly.  Evidently  something  was  wrong  with  my 
sheep. 

I  hurried  up  the  stairs,  the  woman  following.  The 
kitchen  door  was  locked;  she  gave  me  the  key.  There 
was  noise  within.  I  opened  the  door.  The  mouflon  stood 
between  the  legs  of  an  inverted  table.  I  saw  his  feet 
come  together;  I  dodged;  he  cleared  the  door,  doubled 
up  the  woman,  and  bounded  down  the  stairway. 

The  kitchen  was  a  wreck.  Battered  coppers  and 
broken  crockery  covered  the  floor.  The  food  had  all 
been  looted. 

He  had  a  way  of  getting  my  knots  untied,  I  thought 
it  mysterious,  till  at  sixty  I  discovered  that  I  had  never 
known  how  to  tie  a  square  knot. 

The  woman  was  bruised ;  she  was  also  not  in  good 
humor ;  but  she  had  an  eye  to  business,  and  she  managed 
the  business  skilfully.  I  got  away  with  what  I  thought 
might  take  me  to  Venice. 

I  took  the  boat  to  Genoa,  and  drove  at  once  to  the  sta- 
tion and  bought  tickets  to  Venice,  one  for  myself  and 
one  for  the  mouflon.  A  train  w^as  soon  to  start,  and  I 
asked  the  guard  where  he  would  put  the  mouflon. 

"  In  the  dog  kennel,  Signore"  he  answered,  pointing 
to  a  little  door  under  the  baggage-car.  He  called  four 
porters  and  opened  the  door.  The  men  lifted  the  strug- 
gling animal,  and  started  to  put  him  in  head  first.  They 
twisted  his  head  sideways  to  get  his  horns  in.  I  pro- 
tested; so  did  the  mouflon.  Then  they  turned  him  end 
for  end,  and  managed  to  push  him  in  till  they  got  him  as 
far  as  his  horns.  Then  in  despair  they  dropped  him  on 
the  platform. 

Then  that  mouflon  took  his  innings.  Quickly  those 
four  uniformed  servants  of  the  Sardinian  kingdom  lay 


The  Mouflon  Stood  Between  the  Legs  of  an  Inverted  Table. 
.  .  .  The  Kitchen  Was  a  Wreck, 


85 


86  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

doubled  up  on  the  floor.  The  air  was  blue  with  groans 
and  impressive  statements.  The  victor  was  proud;  I 
was  disturbed,  the  guard  and  the  conductor,  who  came 
up,  were  haughty.  That  animal  couldn't  go  on  the 
train.  He  was  a  wild  beast,  and  they  didn't  carry  wild 
beasts. 

I  showed  his  ticket. 

They  answered  that  he  could  go  only  if  inclosed  in  a 
strong  cage.  There  was  no  other  way,  so  I  went  to  a 
hotel  and  had  a  carpenter  brought.  I  told  the  man  to 
measure  the  animal  and  make  a  strong  cage  for  him.  I 
waited  in  Genoa  two  or  three  days  for  the  cage.  When 
it  came,  I  saw  that  it  was  strong.  It  was  also  very 
heavy.    You  paid  for  baggage  by  the  pound. 

In  due  time,  after  about  twenty  hours,  I  reached  Venice 
in  the  morning,  and  went  to  a  hotel.  I  was  hungry,  but 
after  a  cup  of  coffee  and  an  egg,  I  hastened  to  a  bank  to 
draw  money.  I  handed  out  my  letter  of  credit,  saying  I 
wished  to  draw  twenty  pounds.  The  banker  glanced  at 
the  letter  and  said: 

"  Vm  sorry ;  I  shall  have  to  forward  your  draft  to 
London  for  acceptance." 

"  Why  must  you  do  that  ?  "  I  answered.  *'  It  isn't  cus- 
tomary." 

"  We  have  instructions  not  to  pay  directly,  except  on 
drafts  drawn  on  the  Barings,  and  your  letter  is  not  from 
them.  This  applies  to  all  others,  on  account  of  the  panic 
in  America." 

The  great  panic  of  1857!  I  had  not  heard  of  it;  in- 
deed, I  had  not  come  in  contact  with  American  travelers. 

He  said  it  would  take  about  two  weeks  for  him  to  get 
authority  from  London. 

The  banker  added  that,  as  I  was  going  to  Vienna, 
where  the  house  of  Baron  Escales  was  mentioned  among 


MY  «  TAME  "  MOUFLON  87 

correspondents  on  my  letter,  I  might  doubtless  fare  bet- 
ter. 

After  a  hasty  count,  I  thought  I  had  perhaps  enough 
money  to  take  me  to  Vienna. 

I  hurried  to  the  hotel  and  paid  for  my  coffee  and  egg ; 
then  I  bought  transportation  to  Trieste.  The  passenger 
steamer  was  already  gone,  and  I  boarded  an  old  Austrian 
freight  steamer.  The  cheaper  cost  had  attracted  a  rough- 
looking  lot  of  passengers.  I  settled  down  for  a  delight- 
ful trip  of  a  few  hours. 

We  started  with  a  fresh  breeze.  As  we  progressed, 
the  wind  grew  rapidly  stronger,  and  the  sea  rougher. 
Everybody  and  I  thought  of  the  comfort  in  Venice.  The 
captain  looked  at  the  glass  and  ordered  all  to  go  down 
into  the  cabin.  I  looked  down  at  the  mass  of  seasick 
humans,  and  refused  to  follow. 

The  captain  insisted,  and  when  I  wouldn't  go  down,  he 
said  I  might  stay  on  deck  at  my  own  risk,  but  I  must  sit 
on  a  bench  and  be  lashed  to  the  stays.  By  the  time  I 
was  securely  tied,  every  gangway  was  battened  tight,  and 
we  were  tossing  in  a  frightful  gale.  It  was  the  Karst  — 
the  nearest  thing  to  a  hurricane  that  ever  occurs  on  Eu- 
ropean waters. 

All  that  day,  and  all  night,  that  blessed  boat  tossed  in 
a  howling  wind  that  whistled  shrill  through  the  rigging; 
she  plunged,  rolled,  and  kicked.  The  seas  dashed  over 
the  deck.  Only  my  ropes  held  me.  I  was  so  drenched 
and  bruised  and  seasick  that  I  forgot  to  be  afraid. 

Towards  morning  the  wind  abated ;  we  were  in  the  lee 
of  the  Dalmatian  coast,  but  we  had  to  wait  hours  before 
it  would  be  wise  to  enter  the  harbor  of  Trieste. 

The  captain  loosened  my  lashings,  and  grinned  a  sar- 
donic grin.  '' Spero  che  a  dormito  bene!"  (I  hope 
youVe  slept  well.) 


88  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

I  had  been  for  twenty-four  hours  storing  up  ideas 
about  that  boat;  it  was  pleasant  to  unload  them  on  the 
captain. 

As  soon  as  we  landed  I  drove  to  the  station.  The 
Semmering  railway  had  been  finished  through  to  Trieste. 
I  had  just  enough  money  to  pay  to  Vienna,  third-class, 
for  myself,  my  mouflon,  and  my  jocks.  Indeed,  I  had 
one  copper  coin  left  over.  It  was  Neapolitan,  and 
worthless  in  Austria. 

The  morning  train  had  left,  and  there  was  to  be  no 
other  till  evening,  a  slow  one  —  and  that  twenty-three 
hours  to  Vienna ! 

I  was  hungry.  My  stomach  retained  only  memories  of 
an  economical  meal  at  Genoa,  and  of  a  cup  of  good 
coffee  and  an  Ggg  at  Venice;  and  I  was  thirsty;  but  I 
had  no  money,  and  I  knew  no  one  in  Trieste. 

So  I  wandered  all  that  long  day  through  the  city,  rest- 
ing wherever  I  found  public  seats.  Fortunately  I  had  a 
half-dozen  Corsican  cigars;  for  I  had  learned  to  smoke 
in  those  nights  in  the  marshes  of  the  Maremma  in  south- 
ern Corsica,  when  collecting  insects  in  that  malarial  re- 
gion. 

Toward  train  time,  I  paced  the  station  platform.  The 
mouflon  smelt  longingly  at  my  empty  pockets.  I  had  one 
cigar  left,  and  cutting  it,  I  gave  him  the  larger  part;  he 
chewed  it  greedily  and  looked  in  vain  for  more. 

At  last  we  started.  The  train  rolled  slowly  on  through 
the  long  night.  At  times  it  stopped  for  refreshments, 
and  I  walked  on  the  platform.  I  looked  through  the 
door  of  the  buffets.  How  good  the  great  strings  of 
Vienna  Wurst  looked,  and  how  I  envied  the  greedy 
crowd !  Not  being  able  to  buy  food,  I  didn't  dare  to  ask 
for  water.  And  I  saw  these  things  with  growing  long- 
ing and  envy  all  the  next  day. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

MY  MOUFLON  "  PERFORMS  ''  IN 

VIENNA 

What  should  I  do  when  we  reached  Vienna,  and  what 
if  I  should  fail  to  get  money  there?  When  in  the  evening 
we  rolled  into  Vienna,  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  act 
boldly.  I  hired  two  carriages,  one  for  myself  and  one 
for  my  trunks,  and  a  baggage  wagon  for  the  caged 
mouflon ;  and  I  drove  in  state  to  the  best  hotel  —  the 
Kaiserin  Elisabeth. 

A  porter  looked  out  and  ran  back;  evidently  an  im- 
portant guest  was  arriving.  Quickly  there  formed  a 
double  row  of  servants  across  the  sidewalk,  and  through 
this  came  the  landlord.  He  opened  the  carriage  door 
obsequiously,  expecting  a  personage  —  and  only  I  stepped 
out.  However,  he  knew  me  and  welcomed  me.  I  had 
the  porters  take  the  mouflon  out  of  the  heavy  cage  and 
hold  him  by  the  rope.  Then  I  asked  the  landlord  where 
I  could  put  the  animal  out  to  board.  The  mouflon  came 
to  smell  my  pockets,  then  tried  at  the  landlord's.  The 
latter  said :  "  Why  not  here,  Herr  Pumpelly  ?  We  have 
a  court." 

*'  Oh  no ! "  I  answered,  **  not  here ;  he  would  break 
everything  in  your  house !  " 

The  mouflon  put  his  nose  longingly  against  the  land- 
lord's hand;  then  stroking  the  animal's  forehead  the 
landlord  said: 

**  He's  as  gentle  as  a  pet  lamb,  Herr  Pumpelly ;  we  have 

89 


90  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

many  children  in  the  house,  and  he  will  be  a  great  pleas- 
ure to  them." 

I  insisted  that  he  was  terribly  destructive. 

"  Let  him  stay  here !  FU  be  responsible  for  all  the 
damage  he  may  do,"  was  the  answer. 

I  weakened,  trusting  to  luck  and  to  the  tying  rope.  So 
the  mouflon  became  a  guest. 

We  entered  through  a  hallway.  At  the  further  end  a 
door  opened  into  a  court  paved  with  stone.  This  court 
was  perhaps  thirty  feet  square.  On  the  right-hand  the 
wall  had  a  continuous  stretch  of  windows  lighting  the 
kitchen.  On  the  left-hand  wall  a  similar  expanse  of 
windows  lighted  the  dining  room.  The  other  two  walls 
were  blank  spaces. 

In  the  middle  stood  an  iron  lamp-post;  this  was  all 
there  was  in  the  court,  excepting  at  the  center  of  each 
blank  wall  there  was  a  pedestal  supporting  a  large  plaster 
cast  of  a  Greek  deity. 

A  porter  tied  the  "  pet  lamb  "  to  the  lamp-post,  and  I 
saw  that  he  was  properly  fed. 

The  mouflon  was  hungry:  for  he  had  gone  over  two 
days  on  half  a  cigar. 

I  was  starving;  I  had  existed  three  days  on  the  mem- 
ory of  an  evanescent  egg  and  a  cup  of  coffee. 

I  knew  the  danger  of  over-eating  under  such  circum- 
stances, and  sat  down  resolved  to  be  prudent. 

That  night  I  had  a  night-mare;  I  was  being  tracked 
by  the  Austrian  police  for  some  awful  crime;  a  loud 
knocking  awakened  me,  the  police  were  breaking  in;  I 
jumped  out  in  the  darkness  and  opened  the  door  and  was 
instantly  knocked  sprawling  on  the  floor. 

The  police  were  my  mouflon.  The  servants  had  been 
cleaning,  and  had  left  open  the  door  into  the  court.     The 


MOUFLON  "  PERFORMS  "  IN  VIENNA      91 

mouflon  had  become  untied,  and  traced  me  to  my  room  and 
had  butted  against  the  door. 

When  running  loose  at  the  hergerie  in  Corsica,  he  had 
been  able  to  find  me  when  I  was  not  where  he  could  see 
me.  I  don't  remember  having  taken  him  to  my  room  that 
evening;  he  must  have  traced  me  here  as  he  did  in  the 
mountains. 

I  made  him  lie  down;  then  I  went  to  bed  and  slept 
sweetly.     I  was  awakened  by  a  noise. 

My  bed  was  at  one  end  of  a  long  room,  and  I  faced  a 
window  at  the  other  end.  It  was  daylight.  The  mouflon 
had  just  jumped  onto  a  bureau  at  the  foot  of  my  bed, 
and  stood  out  in  full  view  between  me  and  the  window. 
He  had  never  seemed  so  beautiful;  I  noted  the  proud 
poise  of  his  head  and  the  powerful  horns.     I  was  happy. 

Suddenly  I  saw  him  glance  across  the  room ;  then, 
bringing  his  feet  into  position  he  sprang.  He  had  seen 
another  mouflon  challenging  him,  and  he  landed  in  the 
looking-glass.  I  looked  out  of  the  window  and  saw  that 
the  sun  was  only  just  rising;  the  way  would  be  clear  for 
me  to  get  the  animal  back  to  the  court.  So  I  pulled  on 
my  trousers;  my  shoes  were  gone  to  be  polished.  I  tied 
a  string  around  his  horns  and  started  out  barefooted. 

The  stairway  was  a  square  well;  you  descended  to  a 
landing  half-way  between  floors;  then  turned  and  con- 
tinued down  from  this  landing  in  the  opposite  direction, 
to  the  next  floor.  There  was  a  low  dado  wainscot  rising 
from  the  stairs;  above  this  the  wall  was  covered  with 
narrow  mirrors  joined  together  to  give  a  continuous  sur- 
face of  glass.  As  you  went  down,  you  saw  yourself  in 
another  great  mirror  that  covered  the  wall  of  the  landing. 
I  had  gone  half-way  down  the  first  stairs  when  the  cord 
was  jerked  from  my  hand, —  the  mouflon  had  seen  an- 


92  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

other  ram,  and  had  demolished  him  with  a  loud  crash  of 
shattered  glass.  A  sharp  piece  had  pierced  his  back  and 
had  drawn  blood. 

He  was  frightened  by  the  vanishing  of  these  ghost-like 
mouflons.     He  was  also  pained. 

In  his  terror  he  sought  safety. 

Before  him  the  great  mirror  of  the  wall  of  the  landing 
seemed  to  offer  safety  on  the  reflected  stairs,  and  with  a 
mighty  spring  he  sailed  over  my  head. 

He  landed  half-way  in  the  mirror  and  with  another 
great  crash,  mouflon  and  glass  fell  to  the  floor. 

Then  he  flew  below. 

I  was  dazed. 

The  noise  of  opening  doors  sounded  along  the  corri- 
dors. The  guests  in  nightgowns  rushed  to  the  stairs  and 
peered  down  from  above  and  up  from  below. 

They  saw  a  disheveled  boy  with  bare  feet  standing 
between  two  piles  of  glass ;  and  they  saw  blood  on  the 
steps. 

They  expressed  freely  their  opinion  of  me  and  of  the 
happenings,  in  many  languages.  One  man  said  I  was  a 
"  spleeny  Englishman  on  a  spree." 

This  seemed  to  explain,  and  they  went  off. 

I  remembered  my  empty  purse  and  the  uncertainty  of 
landlords'  promises.  I  also  felt  pained  by  some  personal 
remarks  made  by  the  guests. 

I  sneaked  down  to  the  hall  and  found  that  mouflon, 
and  I  tied  him  tight,  as  I  thought,  though  I  have  already 
confessed  that  I  never  learned  how  to  tie  a  hard  knot  till 
forty  years  later. 

Then  I  got  back  to  my  room,  dressed,  and  quietly  left 
the  hotel  and  walked  the  streets  till  the  bank  should 
open. 

When  I  oiTered  my  letter  of  credit,  the  cashier  looked 


MOUFLON  "PERFORMS"  IN  VIENNA      93 

at  it ;  then  he  said :  *'  I  am  sorry,  but  since  your  respected 
letter  is  not  drawn  on  the  Barings,  we  shall  have  to 
forward  your  draft  to  London  for  acceptance  before  pay- 
ing." 

"  How  long  will  it  be  before  I  can  touch  the  money  " 
I  asked. 

"  About  two  weeks,"  he  answered. 

•'Can't  you  get  authority  by  telegraph  to  pay?"  I 
asked. 

*'  We  never  pay  on  telegraphic  advices,"  he  answered. 

I  went  out  to  meditate.  I  had  left  the  hotel  without 
breakfasting,  and  longed  for  my  usual  coffee  and  an  egg. 
Thinking  of  eggs  recalled  a  bet  I  had  won  against  von 
Andrian  and  Cotta,  at  Freiberg,  that  I  couldn't  swallow 
two  eggs  on  an  empty  stomach;  and  thinking  of  von 
Andrian  reminded  me  that  he  might  be  in  Vienna,  because 
he  had  entered  the  Austrian  Geological  Survey. 

I  found  his  address  in  a  directory,  and  went  to  the 
place,  which  was  a  large  apartment  house.  The  porter 
directed  me  to  an  upper  floor.  When  I  reached  the 
proper  landing,  I  heard  strains  from  a  violoncello.  I 
knew  that  von  Andrian  played :  so  I  triangulated  the  hall- 
way till  I  located  the  proper  door  and  knocked. 

I  was  right ;  von  Andrian  opened  the  door  and  was  glad 
to  see  me. 

"  How  long  shall  you  be  in  Vienna  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Jill  I  can  get  enough  money  on  my  letter  of  credit" 
from  London,"  I  said. 

Then  I  told  him  of  my  experience  at  the  bank,  how 
only  letters  on  the  Barings  were  honored. 

After  thinking  a  minute  he  said : 

"  There  are  many  American  students  here  who  must 
be  in  the  same  condition.  Your  Minister  should  be  able 
to  give  you  advice;  why  not  go  and  see  him?" 


94  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

This  hadn't  occurred  to  me:  so  I  got  up  to  go  to  our 
legation. 

**  That's  right,"  he  said,  "  but  promise  me  that  you'll 
come  right  back  and  tell  me  the  result." 

I  promised  and  went  away.  The  Minister's  name  was 
Jackson,  and  he  hailed  from  Georgia.     I  said  to  him: 

"  Mr.  Jackson,  I  am  an  American  student  stranded  in 
Vienna  with  a  letter  of  credit.  The  bank  will  not  pay 
my  draft  till  they  have  notice  of  its  acceptance  in  London, 
because  it  is  not  drawn  on  the  Barings.  This  will  take 
at  least  two  weeks,  and  I  need  the  money  now.  I  don't 
understand  these  things,  but  think  there  are  many  Ameri- 
cans here  in  the  same  fix :  so  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of 
coming  to  you  for  advice."  Then  I  handed  to  him  my 
letter  of  credit  and  my  passport. 

He  looked  silently  through  the  letter  and  at  all  the 
notings  of  drafts  that  had  been  paid  on  it.  Then  he 
opened  the  passport.  I  had  traveled  much  during  four 
years ;  the  pages  were  thickly  covered  with  vises,  and,  for 
added  space,  the  police  had  tied  and  sealed  the  document 
into  a  booklet  of  many  pages  which  were  nearly  filled  with 
more  vises. 

The  Minister  looked  the  book  slowly  through  to  the 
end.     He  had  till  now  not  spoken  a  word. 

''  Mr.  Pumpelly,  why  don't  you  ask  the  banker  to  get 
instructions  by  telegraph  ?  " 

"  I  have  asked  them,  Mr.  Jackson,  they  don't  pay  on 
telegraphic  advices." 

He  relapsed  into  another  silent  reading  through  of  my 
letter  and  of  the  passport. 

Then  that  man  folded  my  papers  and  gave  them  back 
to  me.     He  took  out  his  watch  and  said: 

"  Mr.  Pumpelly,  I  have  an  important  engagement." 

Then  he  stood  up.     It  was  a  dismissal. 


MOUFLON  «  PERFORMS  "  IN  VIENNA     95 

I  felt  that  he  had  taken  me  for  a  beggar.  I  thanked 
him  for  his  marked  kindness  and  for  the  excellence  of  his 
advice. 

When  I  reached  von  Andrian's  room  I  noticed  a  pile  of 
things  on  his  table  that  had  not  been  there  before.  And 
when  I  told  of  my  reception  by  our  Minister,  he  made 
some  remarks  about  his  American  Excellency;  then  he 
said: 

"  I've  had  a  pawnbroker  up  here,  and  find  that  pledg- 
ing all  my  belongings  won't  bring  enough  to  help  you 
out.  What  have  you  got  to  add,  to  make  up  ?  Have  you 
a  watch?" 

"  No,  mine  is  there  already.  I've  only  five  boxes  of 
rocks  and  a  mouflon.  A  mouflon,  lieber  Andrian,  is  a 
gentle  wild  beast  who  amuses  himself  by  hunting  for  his 
kind  in  looking-glasses,  and  demolishing  them.  The 
looking-glasses  belong  to  my  landlord." 

Then  I  told  the  mouflon  story  up  to  date. 

"  You'll  have  a  bigger  bill  than  we  can  settle,"  he  said, 
**  you  must  sell  the  mouflon  if  you  can't  wait  for  money 
from  London." 

"  Only  too  willingly,"  I  answered ;  **  but  who'll  buy 
him?" 

"  I've  never  heard  of  a  mouflon,"  Andrian  said,  "  so  he 
must  be  a  rare  animal ;  why  not  try  the  Zoological  Gar- 
den ?    Write  Herr  von  B ,  whose  charge  is  the  Thier 

Garten,  for  an  appointment,  and  when  you  see  him,  ask 
a  big  price." 

Andrian  dictated  the  letter  and  sent  his  man  with 
it  to  the  palace.  The  messenger  returned  with  a  note 
containing  an  appointment  for  eleven  o'clock  on  the  next 
morning. 

Now  that  the  mouflon  was  as  good  as  sold,  I  began  to 
have  regrets  as  I  walked  to  the  hotel.    To  sell  him  was 


96  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

to  acknowledge  failure;  failure  on  my  part,  not  on  his 
part :  for  as  a  mouflon,  he  was  a  brilliant  success.  While 
thinking  these  thoughts,  I  entered  the  crowded  dining 
room.  The  only  vacant  seat  faced  the  court,  and  looking 
out  I  could  see  my  pet  sleeping  calmly  at  the  foot  of  the 
lamp-post.  As  I  looked  on  those  victorious  horns  and 
recalled  their  exploits,  I  felt  proud  of  their  owner,  and 
sad  regret  at  the  thought  of  the  parting. 

Fearing  that  he  might  wake  up  and  see  me,  and  come 
to  me,  I  moved  a  vase  of  flowers  to  hide  me,  and  began 
to  eat.     Suddenly  I  heard  a  child  call  out : 

"  Mama,  mama,  look !  that  wild  animal  is  loose !  " 

There  stood  the  mouflon  looking  for  a  place  to  jump  to. 
He  jumped. 

He  landed  on  the  high  pedestal  of  the  Apollo  Belvedere. 
The  impact  sent  the  pedestal  against  the  wall,  and  Apollo 
onto  the  pavement,  but  not  before  the  mouflon  had  gath- 
ered force  for  another  spring.  He  sailed  through  the  air 
and  through  the  kitchen  window,  where  he  overturned  a 
table  covered  with  crockery. 

The  frightened  cooks  and  waiters  rushed  out  into  the 
court. 

The  guests,  startled  by  the  child's  cry  of  "  wild  ani- 
mal "  and  by  the  crashes  of  statue  and  glass,  rushed  to 
the  window.     I  was  the  only  one  that  remained  seated. 

During  the  excitement  the  landlord  entered  the  room. 
Raising  his  hands  to  calm  the  guests,  he  came  towards  me 
saying : 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  pray  do  not  be  excited,  it  is 
only  this  gentleman's  pet  lamb ! " 

He  had  come  to  ask  me  to  get  the  animal  out  of  the 
kitchen,  so  that  the  servants  would  go  in. 

I  went  through  the  long  room  feeling  the  stare  of  all 
those  people,  and  knowing  that  some  of  them  had  said 


MOUFLON  "PERFORMS"  IN  VIENNA     97 

uncomplimentary  things  about  me  when  I  stood  bare- 
footed among  the  ruins  on  the  stairs. 

I  found  the  mouflon  on  a  table,  with  his  nose  buried 
in  a  dish  of  Brussels  sprouts,  and  covered  with  the  white 
sauce.     I  got  him  out  and  tied  him  to  the  lamp-post. 

I  wasn't  anxious  to  meet  the  landlord:  so  I  slunk 
quietly  out  of  the  hotel,  and  wandered  till  night.  Then 
I  slipped  in  and  went  to  bed  to  kill  time,  and  to  drown 
my  feelings  in  sleep. 

I  breakfasted  in  my  room,  and  went  out  to  walk  the 
streets. 

At  eleven  o'clock  I  was  received  by  Herr  von  B . 

He  was  a  short  man  with  ribbons  of  several  decorations 
on  his  breast.  He  was  very  courteous,  and  asked  me  to 
what  he  owed  the  pleasure  of  my  visit. 

I  told  him  that  I  had  brought  a  mouflon  from  the 
mountains  of  Corsica,  intending  to  take  him  with  me  to 
America,  but  that  I  found  him  to  be  an  embarrassing 
traveling  companion,  and  would  like  to  sell  him. 

**  A  mouflon ! "  he  said.  *'  Oh,  the  mouflon  is  a  rare 
animal;  please  describe  yours." 

Then  I  spoke  elaborately  of  the  size  and  horns  of  that 
mouflon,  of  his  general  beauty,  and  of  his  moral  char- 
acter. 

The  director  listened  with  a  face  beaming  with  appre- 
ciation. 

*'  Splendid !  "  he  exclaimed ;  "  yes,  mouflons  are  rare, 
very  rare,  and  yours  would  be  a  prize  for  a  Thier  Garten; 
how  much  do  you  ask  for  him,  Herr  Pumpelly  ?  " 

"  He  has  cost  me  about  five  hundred  guldens,"  I  an- 
swered ;  "  I  would  like  to  get  back  what  he  has  cost 
me. 

"  Only  five  hundred  guldens ;  why  that  should  be  a 
mere  bagatelle  for  such  a  fine  specimen;  we  will  be 


98  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

glad "  then  suddenly  grasping  his  head  with  his  hand 

he  exclaimed: 

**  Ach!  how  could  I  have  forgotten;  pray  pardon  me, 
Herr  Pumpelly;  during  this  interesting  conversation  I 
had  forgotten  to  say  that  several  years  ago  His  Majesty 
received  a  present  of  a  pair  of  mouflons  from  the  King 
of  Sardinia.  They  have  produced  a  herd,  and  the  Em- 
peror sometimes  shoots  one  of  them.  I'm  so  sorry  that  I 
had  forgotten." 

My  hopes  were  dashed.  I  stood  there  feeling  that  I 
had  come  to  market  with  one  unsalable  sheep.  I  didn't 
like  that  seeming,  so  I  said  that  I  wanted  the  mouflon  to 
have  a  good  home,  and  begged  that  the  Thier  Garten 
might  take  him  as  a  gift. 

"  Ach !  that  is  too  kind ! "  the  director  said ;  **  but  if 
you  insist,  we  shall  be  delighted.  I  can  assure  you  that 
you  will  receive  an  acknowledgment  from  His  Majesty 
before  you  leave  Vienna;  by  the  way  when  do  you 
leave?" 

**  To-morrow,"  I  answered. 

I  wrote  out  and  gave  him  an  order  on  the  hotel  for  the 

mouflon.    Herr  von  B took  it  and  said,  in  opening 

the  door: 

"  You  will  surely  receive  an  acknowledgment  from  His 
Majesty  this  evening  or  early  to-morrow." 

I  wandered  wearily  to  von  Andrian.  He  was  not  con- 
soling. He  said  I  should  have  kept  the  animal:  for  I 
would  now  have  to  let  my  draft  go  to  London,  and  wait 
for  the  money.  I  regretted  having  needlessly  given  away 
my  mouflon. 

After  several  hours  I  left  von  Andrian,  and  walked 
slowly  to  the  hotel,  dreading  to  enter. 

As  I  came  near,  I  met  a  wagon  carrying  off  the 
mouflon :  the  director  had  lost  no  time.     I  looked  long- 


MOUFLON  "  PERFORMS  "  IN  VIENNA      99 

ingly  after  my  departing  companion ;  all  his  exploits  were 
forgiven,  in  my  sorrow  at  his  loss.  Then  with  uncertain 
steps,  I  entered  the  hotel. 

A  porter  hurried  to  meet  me,  holding  out  a  telegram. 

In  the  evening  when  I  had  arrived  in  Vienna,  that  is 
as  soon  as  I  could  let  some  one  else  pay  for  telegraphing, 
I  had  wired  to  my  fellow  student  Niccoli,  in  Freiberg, 
who  was  under  some  obligation  to  me  for  help  in  a  deli- 
cate matter,  to  send  me  a  certain  sum  of  money.  I  had 
not  really  expected  that  he  could  raise  the  amount. 

The  telegram  was  short  but  it  raised  my  spirits: 

"All  will  be  done. 
Niccoli." 

The  letter  came  the  next  morning ;  and  it  brought  more 
than  the  amount  I  had  asked  for.  It  contained  also  the 
names  of  all  the  contributors  to  this  charity,  with  the 
amounts  opposite  each  name.  Nearly  every  foreigner 
had  put  in  all  he  had  on  hand,  whether  little  or  much. 

I  foresaw. that  there  would  not  be  enough  money  to 
cover  all  the  cost  of  my  mouflon's  amusements,  but  I 
hoped  the  landlord  would  let  me  send  the  excess  from 
Freiberg.     How  little  I  knew  that  man! 

That  evening  von  Andrian  and  I  celebrated  the  relief. 
There  was  lacking  only  the  promised  acknowledgment 
from  His  Majesty.  I  was  to  leave  Vienna  by  the  night 
train. 

After  the  supper,  I  went  to  pay  my  bill,  or  at  least  a 
part  of  it.  The  bookkeeper  made  out  the  account,  care- 
fully.  entering  the  usual  innumerable  list  of  extras,  and 
not  forgetting  all  the  candles  I  had  looked  at.  I  examined 
it,  and  asked  him  if  he  had  not  heard  of  my  mouflon's 
damages.     He  turned  to  the  landlord ; 

My  host  drew  a  long  sigh: 


100  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

"  J  a  ja,  Herr  Pumpelly,  there  were  many  damages,  but 
you  know  that  I  promised  to  be  responsible." 

And  he  persisted  in  refusing  payment. 

In  less  than  two  days,  that  blessed  animal  had  de- 
molished not  less  than  sixty  square  feet  of  mirror,  to  say 
nothing  of  three  ghost  mouflons.  And  that  phenomenal 
landlord  stuck  to  his  promise. 

When  I  reached  Freiberg,  my  friends  were  waiting  for 
the  diligence,  and  took  me  to  a  celebration  supper.  After 
this  they  made  me  tell  how  it  was  that  I  had  got  stranded. 
So  I  told  them  about  the  trouble  with  my  letter  of 
credit. 

And  then  I  told  them  the  mouflon  story  to  date.  I  say 
to  date,  because  there  are  some  sequels  in  the  future.  If 
I  had  not  told  it  then,  it  would  have  been  forgotten,  like 
many  other  adventures  of  my  life. 

My  friends  seemed  to  enjoy  the  story ;  they  made  a  few 
sarcastic  remarks,  and  in  atonement  elected  me  president 
of  the  club. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURE 

The  following  summer  was  to  be  the  last  vacation  I 
should  have  before  leaving  Freiberg  and  entering  upon 
the  serious  duties  of  life.  There  was  an  English  student 
—  Parkyn  —  who  was  in  the  same  condition. 

We  decided  that  we  would  use  that  vacation  in  the 
manner  that  would  give  us  much  adventure  combined 
with  some  profit  in  the  way  of  seeing  mines.  Before 
going  out  into  the  cold  world,  we  must  have  such  a  fill  of 
rousing  experiences  as  would  forever  remain  warm  in  our 
memories. 

Parkyn  knew  what  real  adventure  was:  for  he  was 
older  than  I,  and  he  had  spent  two  years  in  the  wild  life 
of  the  first  rush  to  the  gold  fields  of  Australia.  One  of 
his  stories  recurs  to  me. 

Parkyn  stayed  one  night  at  a  wayside  house  in  the 
"  bush."  He  was  eating  when  a  man  entered  and  handed 
to  the  cook  something  wrapped  in  paper,  telling  him  to 
cook  it.  Then  he  sat  down  opposite  Parkyn.  When  the 
man  had  emptied  the  dish,  he  leaned  back  and  said: 

*'  There !     I  told  the  damned I'd  eat  his  damned 

liver,  and  Fve  done  it !  " 

It  was  clear  that  no  tame  adventure  would  satisfy 
Parkyn's  longing. 

So  all  through  that  winter  we  discussed  the  possibilities 
of  all  the  countries  of  Europe.  Parkyn  thought  them  too 
simple.     But  before  the  end  of  the  semester,  there  came 

101 


102  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

the  news  that  Prince  Danielo  of  Montenegro  was  going 
to  fight  the  Turks. 

This  seemed  promising.  We  decided  that  we  would 
go  to  Montenegro.  We  would  offer  our  services  to  that 
Prince,  in  the  noble  effort  to  destroy  the  infidel  invader ! 
It  seemed  quite  natural  that  we  should  be  accepted,  and 
very  certain  that  there  would  be  adventure  galore. 

Incidentally,  we  would  examine  some  mines  on  the 
way  through  Hungary.  And  we  started  on  this  enter- 
prise.    We  went  first  to  Wielicka  in  Austrian  Poland. 

Here  we  descended  by  a  stairway  cut  in  the  rock  a  thou- 
sand feet  into  the  earth.  We  wandered  through  great 
rooms  cut  in  the  solid  rock  salt,  their  lofty  roofs  sup- 
ported by  columns  of  the  almost  transparent  salt.  We 
crossed  subterranean  lakes  in  boats.  There  was  an  en- 
ormous salon  with  a  table  cut  out  of  the  rock  (salt)  run- 
ning the  whole  length  of  the  room.  Chandeliers  hung 
from  the  roof,  with  pendants  of  salt  crystals  instead  of 
glass,  and  the  walls  were,  I  think,  decorated  with  sculp- 
tures in  the  same  glistening  material.  In  this  room,  I 
was  told,  there  had  been  a  royal  banquet.  There  was 
also  a  chapel  with  altar  and  saints  all  cut  out  of  the 
rock  salt. 

To  take  us  to  the  surface,  there  was  a  great  rope  with 
many  loops  at  the  end.  We  and  the  other  visitors  each 
occupied  a  loop,  and  in  the  shape  of  a  great  cluster  of 
grapes  we  were  lifted  to  daylight  up  through  a  large  shaft 
in  the  white  rock  salt. 

After  having  soothed  our  consciences  by  noting  the 
method  of  mining,  we  bought  a  pair  of  Magyar  ponies 
and  a  light  wagon,  for  the  journey  to  Buda-Pesth. 

I  remember  few  details  of  this  stage  of  our  journey  of 
nearly  200  miles  by  road.  It  is  a  memory  of  delightful 
summer  travel  in  ideal  weather,  through  Galicia  and  over 


IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURE  103 

the  Carpathian  Alps,  and  all  the  way  over  the  plains  of 
Hungary  to  the  Danube. 

I  recall  the  approach  to  one  Galician  village,  and  a 
vision  of  many  Jews  loitering  about,  all  clad  in  long, 
black  gaberdines,  with  tall  silk  hats.  They  had  long, 
greasy  curls  and  beards.  It  seems  strange  that  from 
this  clothing  are  descended  our  silk  hat  and  frock  coat. 

We  stopped  at  noon  to  eat  at  a  house  in  the  village. 
Evidently  the  only  clean  food  would  be  boiled  eggs. 
When  we  asked  for  spoons,  the  woman  thought  for  a 
minute,  then  opening  a  drawer  in  our  table,  and  raking 
over  a  mass  of  dusty  rubbish,  brought  forth  one  spoon 
green  with  verdigris,  which  she  offered  without  further 
ceremony.  Fortunately  the  eggs  were  hard  enough  to 
eat  without  spoons.  While  the  hostess  was  out  hunting 
for  change,  we  opened  a  door  and  found  ourselves  in  a 
synagogue.     My  cane  stuck  deep  in  the  dirt  on  the  floor. 

All  that  afternoon  we  passed  groups  of  Galician  peas- 
ants, men  and  women  in  bright  gala  costumes. 

We  were  told  that  the  Jews  owned  the  distilleries,  and 
absorbed  the  means  of  the  peasantry.  It  is  the  old  story 
of  contact  between  races. 

We  geologized  on  the  Carpathians,  and  climbed  the 
peaks  of  the  Tatra  Mountains,  and  we  enjoyed  for  sev- 
eral days  such  luxuries  as  were  offered  at  a  favorite 
watering  place  in  the  mountains. 

Then,  as  a  sop  to  that  Cerberus,  conscience,  we  made 
a  careful  study  of  the  gold  mines  and  methods  at  Krem- 
nitz. 

We  made  a  side  excursion  to  find  von  Andrian,  who 
was  working  on  the  Geological  Survey.  He  drove  with 
us  part  of  the  journey,  starting  at  three  in  the  morning. 
Looking  at  the  brilliant  starlit  sky,  I  saw  a  faint  star  that 
seemed  blurred  in  contrast  with  its  neighbors.     After 


104j  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

much  discussion  we  agreed  that  it  must  be  a  comet.  It 
was  the  great  comet  of  1858.  During  the  rest  of  the 
journey,  we  saw  it  growing  to  the  distinct  comet  form. 
And  through  that  summer  I  saw  it  stretch  out  its  tail  till 
it  swept,  in  a  brilliant  curve  of  light,  half  across  the 
heavenly  arch.  I  think  our  first  sight  of  it  was  before  it 
was  noted  in  the  newspapers. 

At  Buda-Pesth  we  sold  our  outfit,  and  boarded  a  steam- 
boat to  go  down  the  Danube. 

I  don't  remember  whether  we  were  one  or  several  nights 
on  that  boat,  but  we  came  at  last  to  the  mouth  of  the  Save 
River,  in  whose  valley  lay  the  route  to  Montenegro. 
Here  we  left  the  boat  and  started  southward.  It  may 
have  been  near  the  landing  or  further  up  the  valley,  that 
an  officer  of  the  Austrian  Frontier  Guard  demanded  our 
passports.  We  had  forgotten  to  have  them  znscd  for 
Montenegro,  and  were  turned  back.  We  tried  to  get 
through  at  another  point.  Alas!  we  were  arrested  as 
Russian  spies !  We  were  brought  before  an  officer.  He 
compared  our  identifications  on  the  documents,  and  looked 
serious. 

**  You  have  done  a  dangerous  thing  in  trying  to  cross 
this  frontier  without  permission;  what  was  your  rea- 
son?" 

"  We  are  two  students  on  a  vacation  trip,  and  we 
thought  to  have  some  fun  in  fighting  the  Turks,"  we  an- 
swered. 

The  officer  clearly  saw  some  humor  in  the  idea.  He 
laughed  good  naturedly. 

*'  That  would  be  fine,"  he  said,  "  but  Pm  sorry  that  it's 
impossible."    Then  he  added: 

"  I  might  arrest  you,  for  we  are  neutrals ;  but  Til  ac- 
cept your  word  of  honor  that  you  won't  try  again,  and 
will  let  you  go  elsewhere  in  Austria-Hungary." 


IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURE  105 

We  promised. 

A  considerate  providence,  or  perhaps  the  shades  of  our 
ancestors,  had  made  us  forget  the  vises,  and  had  dashed 
our  hair-brained  plan. 

We  couldn't  kill  Turks ;  we  decided  to  go  to  Belgrade, 
which  was  then  Turkish  territory,  and  see  what  kind  of 
people  the  Turks  were  anyway.  So  we  took  the  next 
boat,  and  steamed  down  the  beautiful  Danube.  We  got 
vises  for  Belgrade,  and  crossed  the  frontier. 

In  the  quaint  city,  that  had  seen  the  carnage  of  in- 
vading hosts  through  the  centuries,  we  found  a  son  of 
one  of  our  instructors  at  Freiberg.  He  went  around  with 
us  and  introduced  us  to  the  governing  Pasha. 

The  Pasha  was  a  genial  old  gentleman ;  he  received  us 
very  kindly  and  made  us  sit  on  divans.  Coffee  and 
delicious  confections  were  placed  before  us  by  slaves ;  and 
we  smoked  Latakia  in  Narghiles  with  long,  flexible  tubes. 
We  liked  these  so  much  that  he  presented  them  to  us,  and 
I  still  have  mine.  He  spoke  French  much  fetter  than 
we  could,  and  we  talked  long  about  Paris  and  Turkey. 

The  Pasha  treated  us  so  well  that  we  felt  quite  resigned 
to  our  disappointment,  and  were  inclined  rather  to  like 
the  Turk  we  knew  better  than  the  Montenegrin  we  had 
not  seen. 


CHAPTER  XV 

SEQUEL  TO  THE  MOUFLON  STORY 
AND  RETURN  TO  AMERICA 

As  we  had  to  find  new  fields  to  roam  in,  I  said  to 
Parkyn :  "  Let's  try  Transylvania.  No  one  goes  there ; 
it's  a  quaint  region,  with  lots  of  interesting  gold  mines 
and  picturesque  scenery." 

"  Oh,  hang  Transylvania !  "  he  answered ;  "  I'm  tired  of 
these  Danubian  countries;  let's  go  to  Vienna." 

"  If  you  don't  care  for  Transylvania,"  I  said,  "  we 
might  branch  off  south,  and  tramp  through  Croatia  and 
Dalmatia  to  the  Adriatic.  It's  a  wild  region  where  the 
rivers  are  lost  in  underground  caverns,  and  the  people 
haven't  go^  out  of  the  fifth  century." 

Parkyn  used  some  improper  words,  and  persisted  in 
going  to  Vienna. 

*'  Tell  me  why  on  earth  you  want  to  go  there  now,"  I 
answered,  "  we've  both  been  there,  and  it's  a  hot  and 
dreary  place  in  summer." 

*' Well,  if  you  must  know,  I'll  tell  you;  I  didn't  want 
to  tell.  Now  don't  misunderstand;  it  wasn't  that  the 
boys  didn't  believe  all  your  tale  about  the  things  your 
mouflon  did;  no,  it  wasn't  that;  the  truth  is,  they  made 
me  promise  that,  if  I  ever  got  out  of  Montenegro  alive,  I 
would  go  to  Vienna,  and  I  should  see  whether  there  was 
any  such  animal  as  a  mouflon  anyway !  " 

I  had  to  agree.  So  to  Vienna  we  went.  We  drove  out 
to  Schonbrunn.     An  old  keeper  said : 

**  Certainly,  many  people  come  to  see  our  mouflons ; 

106 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  lOT 

they  are  the  only  ones  in  any  Thier  Garten  in  Europe." 

He  led  us  to  an  inclosure  in  which  were  two  mouflons 
—  my  superb  animal  and  a  smaller  and  lean  one. 

"  Where  are  the  others  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  There  are  no  others,"  he  answered. 

"  You're  mistaken,"  I  said.  **  There's  a  herd  of  them ; 
His  Majesty  comes  here  to  shoot  them." 

The  old  man  threw  up  his  hands : 

"  Are  you  crazy,  my  dear  Sir  ?  I  have  told  you  that 
these  are  the  only  mouflons  in  confinement  in  Europe. 
That  little  one  was  presented  to  His  Majesty  by  the  King 
of  Sardinia  three  years  ago.     His  Majesty  bought  this 

fine  one  last  winter  from  Herr  von  B .     He  paid 

him  1,500  guldens." 

Seeing  that  my  companion  was  about  to  speak,  I  said 
to  him : 

"  Keep  quiet,  don't  say  a  word.  Let's  get  right  out  of 
Vienna."  I  knew  something  of  the  Austrian  secret 
police,  and  Herr  von  B was  an  official  of  importance. 

Ten  years  later,  when  I  was  on  Lake  Superior,  select- 
ing the  land  grant  of  the  Portage  Lake  and  Lake  Superior 
Ship  Canal,  I  received  a  letter  from  a  friend  in  New 
York,  who  wrote  that  he  had  given  to  two  gentlemen  a 
letter  recommending  them  to  me.  They  were  traveling 
incognito.  One  was  Duke  Wilhelm  of  Wiirtemberg, 
uncle  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  and  Field  Marshal  in 
the  Austrian  army.  The  other  was  Prince  Eugen,  his 
nephew,  and  heir  to  the  throne  of  Wiirtemberg.  The 
duke  had  expressed  a  wish  to  visit  the  great  primeval 
forests  of  the  Northwest,  and  the  iron  mines.  He  was 
interested  in  geology,  and  the  royal  family  had  large 
interests  in  iron  mines  and  forests,  and  in  the  industries 
connected  with  both.  My  friend  hoped  I  would  be  able 
to  aid  these  gentlemen  in  their  visit. 


108  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

A  week  or  two  later,  in  Marquette,  two  cards  were 
handed  me, 

"W.  T.  Wurtemberg." 
"Eugen  Wurtemberg." 

The  duke  was  a  tall  man  of  soldierly  bearing,  and  still 
feeling  wounds  received  in  the  war  in  Italy.  The  prince 
was  young,  and  with  the  manner  of  a  young  German 
officer.  I  noticed  that  in  leaving  a  room,  the  uncle  al- 
ways held  the  door  open  for  the  nephew  to  pass  first. 
Both  of  them  had  the  affable  simplicity  of  manner  of 
royal  personages. 

I  took  them  with  me  for  a  week  or  more  on  a  trip,  in 
canoes  and  on  foot,  through  the  great  untouched  forest. 
They  adapted  themselves  at  once  to  the  very  rough  con- 
ditions and  food.  The  older  man  showed  intelligent  in- 
terest in  all  he  saw,  the  younger  one  shot  game. 

We  passed  long  evenings  telling  stories  by  the  great 
campfires.  One  night,  when  I  thought  I  knew  the  duke 
well  enough,  I  told  the  mouflon  story.  He  was  listening 
with  interest.  When  I  came  to  the  scene  where  I  stood 
on  the  stairs  between  two  shattered  mirrors,  he  started 
forward  throwing  out  his  hands. 

'*  I  was  there !  I  saw  you !  I  had  my  apartments  in 
the  Kaiserin  Elizabeth." 

When  in  finishing  I  came  to  what  had  been  my  real 
reason  for  telling  the  story  —  the  statement  by  the  keeper 

that  Herr  von  B had  sold  the  mouflon  —  the  duke 

said: 

**  Yes,  those  fellows  are  shameless,  they  do  such  things. 
But,  Herr  Professor,  I  shall  tell  the  Emperor;  you  shall 
have  your  revenge." 

The  duke  died  soon  after  returning  to  Vienna,  and  I 
fear  that  I  may  have  missed  the  revenge. 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  109 

In  my  student  days  and  in  the  following  years,  I  was 
often  asked  to  tell  this  story.  It  got  ahead  of  me  in  my 
travels,  and  I  have  told  it  in  English,  German,  French, 
Italian,  and  Japanese. 

At  Freiberg  I  set  about  arranging  and  studying  my 
Corsican  collection  of  rocks. 

At  the  same  time  I  worked  out  my  scheme  of  the  rela- 
tive ages  of  the  dikes  I  had  studied  in  Corsica,  to  each 
other  and  to  the  rocks  they  traversed. 

Then  I  wrote  an  account  of  the  occurrences  of  traces 
of  ancient  glaciers  in  Corsica.  The  relation  of  glaciers 
to  geological  history  had  only  recently  begun  to  be  dis- 
cussed and  I  searched  such  scientific  literature  as  was  at 
hand  for  possible  clues. 

I  received  my  certificate  from  the  authorities  of  the 
Academy,  made  a  tour  of  farewell  visits,  and,  with  many 
"  Gliick  auf!"  (Good  luck!)  blessings,  started  forth  into 
the  world.  I  was  harassed  by  the  feeling  that  I  was  end- 
ing my  education  with  a  very  widely  neglected  gap  in  the 
way  of  broader  culture.  I  felt  that  I  should  like  to  spend 
years  at  a  university,  studying  history  and  archaeology. 
The  geological  history  of  the  globe  and  of  its  lower  forms 
of  life,  which  had  been  my  chief  interest,  seemed  to  be 
only  stepping-stones  to  the  history  of  man. 

But  my  parents  had  spent  so  much  for  my  six  years 
in  Europe  that  it  was  a  duty  to  shift  for  myself. 

After  a  round  of  visits  to  the  coal  mines  of  West- 
phalia, and  a  visit  to  some  mines  near  Aix-la-Chapelle, 
I  came  to  Paris.  Here  I  stayed  for  some  time  working 
in  the  collections  at  the  ^cole  des  Mines  (School  of 
Mines)  and  at  the  Jar  din  des  Plant  es,  and  in  collecting 
fossils  in  the  Paris  basin,  this  time  with  a  much  better 
knowledge  than  in  my  earlier  excursions. 

I  lived  again  at  the  pension  at  25  Rue  Royale,  where 


110  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

I  found  again  my  friend  Baroness  de  Pailhez  and  several 
other  agreeable  ladies. 

It  must  have  been  autumn  when  I  left  Europe  to  re- 
turn to  America.  In  coming,  I  had  crossed  the  Atlantic 
on  a  sailing  vessel  to  Hamburg  in  fifteen  and  a  half  days, 
the  trip  back  from  France  in  a  steamer  was,  I  think, 
about  as  long.  The  steamer  was  the  Ocean  Queen,  a 
large  side-wheeler.  The  passage  was  very  rough.  We 
had  a  startling  experience ;  during  the  night  I  was  awak- 
ened by  a  hard  bump  on  the  bottom  of  my  berth  which 
was  the  upper  one.  In  the  lower  one  slept  Susini,  the 
opera  singer.  He  was  a  large  and  powerful  man ;  it  was 
Susini's  head  that  bumped.  There  was  loud  shrieking  in 
the  adjoining  saloon.  We  jumped  out,  and  into  water 
up  to  our  knees.  Opening  the  door  we  saw  a  wild  and 
weird  sight.  The  long  saloon  occupying  the  rear  half 
of  the  ship  had  already  a  foot  or  more  of  water.  The 
ship  was  pitching.  The  passengers,  chiefly  women  in 
night  clothes,  were  hanging  to  the  revolving  chairs,  along 
the  double  row  of  tables.  Their  floating  bodies  swung 
round  in  unison  to  point  toward  bow  or  stern  as  the  water 
surged  back  and  forth. 

I  could  see  that  the  water  had  come  in  through  the 
port-holes  at  the  stern ;  and  I  remember  that  before  going 
to  bed  I  had  opened  these  for  air.  With  much  difficulty 
I  managed  to  close  them. 

The  explanation  given  by  the  ship's  officers,  and  which 
I  never  understood,  was  that  we  were  driving  before  a 
severe  storm  on  a  heavy  sea,  and  that  the  waves  traveling 
faster  than  we  did,  had  at  one  moment  reversed  our 
engine  and  submerged  the  stern.  I  don't  know  yet  that 
this  is  possible;  but  I  did  know,  silently,  that  all  those 
ladies  owed  their  salt  bath  to  me.     One  wheelhouse  with 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  111 

a  man  was  carried  away,  for  which  I  was  not  responsible, 
nor  was  I  for  the  big  lump  on  Susini's  head. 

I  remember  one  other  passenger  on  this  voyage  —  Mr. 
Yancey  —  who  was  prominent  later  in  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. We  were  much  together.  Once,  when  he 
showed  interest  in  my  plans  for  the  future,  I  happened 
to  express  doubt  as  to  an  opening  for  professional  work 
in  mining ;  and  whether  I  should  gain  a  living.  He  threw 
his  arm  over  my  shoulder  and  said :  **  Don't  worry ; 
you'll  find  that  money  comes  fast  enough ;  the  trouble  is 
in  keeping  it." 

This  was  very  consoling,  for  I  didn't  as  yet  know  how 
true  was  the  qualifying  phrase. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
I  GO  TO  ARIZONA 

While  visiting  relatives  in  Albany  the  winter  follow- 
ing my  return  from  Europe,  I  came  to  know  Professor 
Hall,  the  great  paleontologist,  and  Colonel  Jewett,  the 
Curator  of  the  Geological  Museum  —  an  acquaintance 
that  lasted,  with  both,  through  their  lives.  In  the  case 
of  Colonel  Jewett,  this  meeting  was  one  of  the  critical 
incidents  that  determined  my  subsequent  career.  Mr. 
Wrightson,  of  Cincinnati,  had  asked  Colonel  Jewett  to 
recommend  a  geologist  to  develop  some  mines  in  Arizona. 
This  led  to  my  appointment  after  some  correspondence 
and  a  visit  to  Cincinnati. 

It  led  also  to  a  wild  life  of  adventure,  and  to  a  pretty 
thorough  education  in  human  nature  gained  from  con- 
tact with  men  of  varied  races  and  of  every  shade  of 
character  from  the  stalwart  pioneer  of  the  frontier  to  the 
gambler,  the  bully,  and  the  frank  cut-throat.  In  a  gen- 
eral way,  Mr.  Wrightson  warned  me  of  the  nature  of  the 
environment  into  which  my  acceptance  of  the  post  would 
lead  me,  but  his  description  was,  compared  with  the  reality 
known  later,  like  the  faded  print  of  a  poor  photograph. 
However,  the  prospect  only  strengthened  my  wish  to  go. 

In  the  affectionate  parting  from  my  parents,  my  dear 
mother  said: 

"  My  dear  boy,  remember  always  to  do  your  whole 
duty  towards  your  employers." 

In  St.  Louis  on  the  8th  of  October,  i860,  I  bought  my 

112 


I  GO  TO  ARIZONA  113 

ticket  '*  from  Syracuse  to  Tucson,  per  Overland  Mail 
Stage,  Waybill  No.  7  of  this  date."  I  went  by  rail  to 
Jefferson  City,  then  the  westernmost  end  of  the  railroad 
in  Missouri.  This  finished  the  first,  and  in  point  of  time 
the  shortest  stage  in  a  journey,  the  end  of  which  I  had 
not  even  tried  to  foresee. 

I  secured  the  right  to  a  back  seat  in  the  overland  coach 
as  far  as  Tucson,  and  looked  forward,  with  comparatively 
little  dread,  to  sixteen  days  and  nights  of  continuous 
travel.  But  the  arrival  of  a  woman  and  her  brother 
dashed  my  hopes  of  an  easy  journey  at  the  very  outset, 
and  obliged  me  to  take  the  front  seat,  where,  with  my 
back  to  the  horses,  I  began  to  foresee  coming  discomfort. 
The  coach  was  fitted  with  three  seats,  and  these  were 
occupied  by  nine  passengers.  As  the  occupants  of  the 
front  and  middle  seats  faced  each  other,  it  was  necessary 
for  these  six  people  to  interlock  their  knees;  and  there 
being  room  inside  for  only  ten  of  the  twelve  legs,  each 
side  of  the  coach  was  graced  by  a  foot,  now  dangling  near 
the  wheel,  now  trying  in  vain  to  find  a  place  of  support. 
An  unusually  heavy  mail  in  the  boot,  by  weighing  down 
the  rear,  kept  those  of  us  who  were  on  the  front  seat  con- 
stantly bent  forward,  thus,  by  taking  away  all  support 
from  our  backs,  rendering  rest  at  all  times  out  of  the 
question. 

My  immediate  neighbors  were  a  tall  Missourian,  with 
his  wife  and  two  young  daughters ;  and  from  this  family 
arose  a  large  part  of  the  discomfort  of  the  journey.  The 
man  was  a  border  bully,  armed  with  revolver,  knife,  and 
rifle ;  the  woman,  a  very  hag,  ever  following  the  disgust- 
ing habit  of  dipping  —  filling  the  air,  and  covering  her 
clothes  with  snuff ;  the  girls,  for  several  days  overcome  by 
seasickness,  and  in  this  having  no  regard  for  the  clothes 
of  their  neighbors; — these  were  circumstances  which  of- 


114  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

fered  slight  promise  of  pleasure  on  a  journey  which,  at 
the  best,  could  only  be  tedious  and  difficult. 

For  several  days  our  road  lay  through  the  more  barren 
and  uninteresting  parts  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas;  but 
when  we  entered  the  Indian  Territory,  and  the  fertile 
valley  of  the  Red  River,  the  scenery  changed,  and  we 
seemed  to  have  come  into  one  of  the  Edens  of  the  earth. 

Before  reaching  Fort  Smith  every  male  passenger  in 
the  stage  had  lost  his  hat,  and  most  of  the  time  allowed 
for  breakfast  at  that  town  was  used  in  getting  new  head- 
gear. It  turned  out  to  be  a  useless  expense,  however, 
for  in  less  than  two  days  we  were  all  again  bareheaded. 
As  this  happened  to  the  passengers  of  every  stage,  we 
estimated  that  not  less  than  fifteen  hundred  hats  were 
lost  yearly  by  travelers  for  the  benefit  of  the  population 
along  the  road. 

After  passing  the  Arkansas  River,  and  traveling  two 
or  three  days  through  the  cultivated  region  of  north- 
eastern Texas,  we  came  gradually  to  the  outposts  of 
population.  The  rivers  became  fewer,  and  deeper  below 
the  surface;  the  rolling  prairie-land  covered  with  grass 
gave  way  to  dry  gravelly  plains,  on  which  the  increasing 
preponderance  of  cacti,  and  the  yucca,  warned  us  of  our 
approach  to  The  Great  American  Desert.  Soon  after  our 
entrance  into  this  region  we  were  one  morning  all  startled 
from  a  deep  sleep  by  the  noise  of  a  party  coming  up  at 
full  gallop,  and  ordering  the  driver  to  halt.  They  were 
a  rough-looking  set  of  men,  and  we  took  them  for  robbers 
until  their  leader  told  us  that  they  were  "  regulators," 
and  were  in  search  of  a  man  who  had  committed  a  mur- 
der the  previous  day  at  a  town  we  had  passed  through. 

**  He's  a  tall  fellow,  with  blue  eyes  and  red  beard,"  said 
the  leader.  "  So  if  youVe  got  him  in  there,  driver,  you 
needn't  tote  him  any  further."    As  I  was  tall,  and  had 


I  GO  TO  ARIZONA  116 

blue  eyes  and  a  red  beard,  I  didn't  feel  perfectly  easy 
until  the  party  left  us,  convinced  that  the  object  of  their 
search  was  not  in  the  stage. 

One  can  scarcely  picture  a  more  desolate  and  barren 
region  than  the  southern  part  of  the  Llano  Estacado  be- 
tween the  Brazos  and  the  Pecos  rivers.  Lying  about 
4,500  feet  above  the  sea,  it  is  a  desert  incapable  of  sup- 
porting other  plant  or  animal  life  than  scattered  cacti, 
rattlesnakes,  and  lizards.  Our  route,  winding  along  the 
southern  border  of  this  region,  kept  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  Comanche  country. 

Here  we  were  constantly  exposed  to  the  raids  of  this 
fierce  tribe,  which  had  steadily  refused  to  be  tamed  by  the 
usual  process  of  treaties  and  presents.  They  were  com- 
mitting serious  depredations  along  the  route,  and  had 
murdered  the  keepers  at  several  stations.  We  conse- 
quently approached  the  stockade  station-houses  with  more 
or  less  anxiety,  not  knowing  whether  we  should  find  either 
keepers  or  horses.  Over  this  part  of  the  road  no  lights 
were  used  at  night,  and  we  were  thus  exposed  to  the  ad- 
ditional danger  of  having  our  necks  broken  by  being  up- 
set. 

The  fatigue  of  uninterrupted  traveling  by  day  and 
night  in  a  crowded  coach,  and  in  the  most  uncomfortable 
positions,  was  beginning  to  tell  seriously  upon  all  the 
passengers,  and  was  producing  in  me  a  condition  border- 
ing on  insanity.  This  was  increased  by  the  constant 
anxiety  caused  by  the  danger  from  Comanches.  Every 
jolt  of  the  stage,  indeed  any  occurrence  which  started  a 
passenger  out  of  the  state  of  drowsiness  was  instantly 
magnified  into  an  attack,  and  the  nearest  fellow  passenger 
was  as  likely  to  be  taken  for  an  Indian  as  for  a  friend. 
In  some  persons,  this  temporary  mania  developed  itself 
to  such  a  degree  that  their  own  safety  and  that  of  their 


116  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

fellow  travelers  made  it  necessary  to  leave  them  at  the 
nearest  station,  where  sleep  usually  restored  them  before 
the  arrival  of  the  next  stage,  in  the  following  week. 
Instances  had  occurred  of  travelers  in  this  condition  jump- 
ing from  the  coach,  and  wandering  off  to  a  death  from 
starvation  in  the  desert. 

Over  the  hard  surface  of  the  country  beyond  the 
Pecos  River,  which  is  everywhere  a  natural  road,  we 
frequently  traveled  at  great  speed,  with  only  half-broken 
teams.  At  several  stations,  four  wild  horses  were  hitched 
blindfolded  into  their  places.  When  everything  was 
ready,  the  blinds  were  removed  at  a  signal  from  the 
driver,  and  the  animals  started  off  at  a  runaway  speed, 
which  they  kept  up  without  slackening,  until  the  next 
station,  generally  twelve  miles  distant.  In  these  cases 
the  driver  had  no  further  control  over  his  animals  than 
the  ability  to  guide  them;  to  stop,  or  even  check  them, 
was  wholly  beyond  his  power;  the  frightened  horses 
fairly  flew  over  the  ground,  never  stopping  till  they  drew 
up  exhausted  at  the  next  station.  Nothing  but  the  most 
perfect  presence  of  mind  on  the  part  of  the  driver  could 
prevent  accidents.  Even  this  was  not  always  enough,  as 
was  proved  by  a  stage  which  we  met,  in  which  every  pas- 
senger had  either  a  bandaged  head  or  an  arm  in  a  sling. 

At  El  Paso  we  had  hoped  to  find  a  larger  stage.  Being 
disappointed  in  this,  I  took  a  place  outside,  wedged  be- 
tween the  driver  and  conductor.  The  impossibility  of 
sleeping  had  made  me  half -delirious,  and  we  had  gone  but 
a  few  miles  before  I  nearly  unseated  the  driver  by  start- 
ing suddenly  out  of  a  dream. 

I  was  told  that  the  safety  of  all  the  passengers  de- 
manded that  I  should  keep  awake ;  and  as  the  only  means 
of  effecting  this,  my  neighbors  beat  a  constant  tattoo  with 
their  elbows  upon  my  ribs.     Ehiring  the  journey  from  the 


I  GO  TO  ARIZONA  117 

Rio  Grande  to  Tucson  my  delirium  increased,  and  the 
only  thing  I  have  ever  remembered  of  that  part  of  the 
route  was  the  sight  of  a  large  number  of  Indian  camp- 
fires  at  Apache  Pass.  My  first  recollection  after  this,  is 
of  being  awakened  by  the  report  of  a  pistol,  and  of  start- 
ing up  to  find  myself  in  a  room,  where  a  number  of  peo- 
ple were  gambling.  I  had  reached  Tucson,  and  had 
thrown  myself  on  the  floor  of  the  first  room  I  could  enter. 
A  sound  sleep  of  twelve  hours  had  fully  restored  me,  in 
both  mind  and  body. 

I  got  up.  No  one  noticed  me.  I  looked  on  a  novel 
scene.  There  were  two  or  three  men  neatly  dressed, 
and  with  delicate  hands,  who  were  dealing  out  cards. 
Their  bearing  was  quiet  and  easy.  The  rest  were  a 
rough-looking  lot  of  white  men  with  unclean  beards,  two 
of  them  in  a  quarrel  that  might  bring  more  shooting. 

I  walked  out  into  the  brilliant  sunlight.  Houses  built 
of  sun-dried  mud  bordered  a  vista  that  opened  upon  a 
vast,  yellow-brown,  desert  plain;  and,  beyond,  a  mighty 
barren  range  of  wonderfully  sculptured  mountains  rose 
with  a  lofty  majesty  that  cast  its  glamour  over  the  whole 
scene. 

I  had  no  remembrance  of  having  eaten  for  a  week. 
So  when  I  saw  some  men  hurrying  to  a  house  where  a 
man  with  a  revolver  stood  ringing  a  bell,  I  turned  to 
enter.     The  man  stopped  me. 

**  Fifty  cents  first  1 "  he  said,  holding  out  a  hand.  There 
were  jerked  beef,  and  beans,  and  some  things  they  called 
bread  and  coffee.  You  ate  what  was  pushed  to  you ;  the 
memory  of  that  pistol  acted  as  a  persuasion. 

The  curtain  had  risen  on  a  new  act  in  the  drama  of  my 
life ;  Arizona  was  before  me  with  its  wide  range  of  types 
df  man  and  Nature. 

My  first  thought  was  to  make  the  necessary  prepara- 


118  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

tions  for  the  journey  to  Tubac  and  the  Santa  Rita  mine. 
Having  soon  succeeded  in  securing  a  place  in  a  wagon 
which  was  to  start  in  a  day  or  two,  I  gave  up  the  interval 
to  seeing  the  little  of  interest  in  the  town  and  neighbor- 
hood. 

The  most  interesting  objects  of  curiosity  in  the  town 
were  the  two  great  masses  of  meteoric  iron  which  have 
been  mentioned  by  the  various  travelers  who  have  passed 
through  this  region.  These  had  long  lain  in  a  black- 
smith shop,  serving  as  anvils,  and  nothing  but  the  impos- 
sibility of  cutting  them  had  saved  them  from  being  man- 
ufactured into  spurs,  knives,  etc.  The  largest  mass,  half- 
buried  in  the  ground,  had  the  appearance  of  resting  on 
two  legs ;  but,  when  removed,  in  i860,  it  was  found  to  be 
a  ring  of  iron,  varying  from  thirty-eight  to  forty-nine 
inches  in  its  external  diameter,  and  from  twenty-three  to 
twenty-six  and  one-half  inches  in  its  internal  one,  and 
weighing  about  1,600  pounds.  It  lies  now  in  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution  at  Washington. 

Leaving  Tucson  early  in  the  morning,  we  ascended  the 
valley  of  the  Santa  Cruz  by  a  sandy  road.  At  first  we 
passed  a  few  patches  of  land  cultivated  by  irrigation,  but 
soon  these  were  succeeded  by  the  broad  sandy  plains  char- 
acteristic of  the  region  and  relieved  from  absolute  barren- 
ness only  by  a  great  number  of  acacia  trees,  and  a  still 
greater  abundance  of  cacti,  of  many  and  large  varieties. 

We  camped  late  at  night  about  fifteen  miles  north  of 
Tubac. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  were  startled  from  sleep 
by  the  approach  of  a  wagon,  which  turned  out  to  contain 
the  superintendent  of  the  Santa  Rita  mines,  Mr.  H.  C. 
Grosvenor,  and  a  friend,  who  had  come  out  to  meet 
me. 


I  GO  TO  ARIZONA  119 

As  we  continued  our  journey  southward,  the  character 
of  the  country  gradually  changed. 

For  a  short  distance  the  bed  of  the  Santa  Cruz  was 
filled  with  running  water,  and  its  banks  supported  a  grove 
of  large  cottonwood  trees,  giving  a  welcome  shade  from 
the  hot  sun,  while  a  heavy  growth  of  grass  covered  the 
flat. 

On  our  left  rose  the  high,  double-peaked  Santa  Rita, 
the  highest  of  the  mountains  of  Arizona  south  of  the 
Gila  River.  A  bold,  precipitous  spur,  the  Picacho  del 
Diabolo,  juts  out  into  the  valley,  a  promontory  of  naked 
rock,  and  a  favorite  post  from  which  the  Apache  watched 
for  the  opportunity  to  make  a  raid. 

Crossing  the  Santa  Cruz,  we  passed  the  Canoa,  a  stock- 
ade house  used  as  an  inn,  a  place  destined  to  see  a  mas- 
sacre in  the  following  year.  A  further  ride  of  fourteen 
miles  brought  us  to  the  old  Spanish  military  post  of 
Tubac.  The  restored  ruins  of  the  old  village  were  oc- 
cupied by  a  small  mixed  population  of  Americans  and 
Mexicans,  while,  near  by,  a  hundred  or  more  Papago  In- 
dians had  raised  a  temporary  camp  of  well-built  reed 
lodges. 

After  breakfasting  we  left  Tubac,  and  traveling  east- 
ward about  ten  miles,  now  ascending  the  dry  bed  of  a 
stream,  now  crossing  the  gravelly  mesa,  we  reached  the 
hacienda  of  the  Santa  Rita  mines,  my  destination. 

At  the  time  of  my  visit  Arizona  comprised  simply  the 
tract  of  country  known  as  the  Gadsden  Purchase,  having 
been  bought  of  the  Mexican  Government,  through  our 
Minister,  Mr.  Gadsden,  for  $10,000,000,  to  serve  as  a 
southern  route  for  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
LIFE  AT  THE  SANTA  RITA  MINES 

The  hacienda  of  the  Santa  Rita  mines,  which  was  to 
be  my  home,  lay  in  a  broad  and  picturesque  valley,  shut 
in  on  the  north  by  the  lofty  range  of  the  Santa  Rita 
Mountains,  and  on  the  south  by  high  and  castellated  cliffs 
of  dark  porphyries  and  white  tufa.  Through  the  open 
valley,  toward  the  west,  the  high  hornlike  peak  of  the 
Baboquiveri  Mountain,  its  outline  sharply  cut  on  the 
clear  sky,  closed  a  vista  over  fifty  miles  of  intervening 
country.  The  Santa  Rita  valley  consists  mainly  of  mesa- 
land,  its  outline  broken  by  jagged  rocks  rising  like  islands 
from  the  plain,  or  by  the  round-backed  spurs  from  the 
mountains.  The  surface  of  these  spur  hills  is  roughened 
by  a  network  of  many  mineral  veins. 

The  whole  valley  and  its  inclosing  hills  were  covered 
with  abundant  grass  of  several  kinds,  which,  while  of 
great  importance  to  the  country,  gave  it  a  parched  appear- 
ance. The  peculiar  effect  of  this  vegetation  was  height- 
ened by  the  abundance  of  the  short  columnar  fish-hook 
cactus,  the  broad  thorn-pointed  leaves  of  the  Spanish 
bayonet,  and  the  tall  lancelike  stem  of  the  century  plant, 
bearing,  in  season,  its  gracefully  pendent  flowers. 

The  scenery  of  Arizona,  dependent  in  great  part  on 
its  climate  and  vegetation,  is  unique,  and  might  belong  to 
another  planet.  No  other  part  of  the  world  is  so  strongly 
impressed  on  my  memory  as  is  this  region,  and  especially 
this  valley.  Seen  through  its  wonderfully  clear  atmo- 
sphere, with  a  bright  sun  and  an  azure  sky,  or  with  every 

120 


LIFE  AT  THE  SANTA  RITA  MINES      121 

detail  brought  out  by  the  intense  light  of  the  moon,  this 
valley  has  seemed  a  paradise;  and  again,  under  cir- 
cumstances of  intense  anxiety,  it  has  been  a  very  prison 
of  hell. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival  at  the  mines,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Grosvenor,  I  started  on  a  journey  to  Fort 
Buchanan,  twenty-two  miles  distant.  Our  route  lay  in 
part  through  a  rocky  and  gloomy  defile,  along  one  of  the 
war  trails  of  the  Apaches  leading  into  Sonora.  From 
the  countless  tracks  in  the  sand  it  was  evident  that  a 
successful  party  of  raiding  savages  had  returned  with  a 
large  drove  of  horses  and  mules. 

A  few  miles  short  of  the  fort  we  stopped  at  the  house 
of  an  Arkansas  family,  one  of  the  daughters  of  which  had 
escaped  most  remarkably  a  few  months  before  from  In- 
dian captivity  and  death.  She  had  been  married  the 
previous  year,  and  had  accompanied  her  husband  to  the 
Santa  Rita  Mountains,  where,  with  a  party  of  men,  he 
was  cutting  timber.  While  alone  in  the  house  one  day 
she  was  surprised  and  taken  off  by  a  small  band  of 
Apaches,  who  forced  her  to  keep  up  with  them  in  their 
rapid  journey  over  the  mountain  ridges,  pricking  her 
with  lances  to  prevent  her  falling  behind.  The  poor 
woman  bore  up  under  this  for  about  ten  miles,  and  then 
gave  out  altogether,  when  the  savages,  finding  they  must 
leave  her,  lanced  her  through  and  through  the  body,  and, 
throwing  her  over  a  ledge  of  rocks  into  a  snow-bank,  left 
her  for  dead.  She  was  soon  conscious  of  her  condition, 
and,  stopping  the  wounds  with  rags  from  her  dress,  be- 
gan her  journey  homeward.  Creeping  over  the  rough 
country,  and  living  on  roots  and  berries,  she  reached  her 
home  after  several  days.  I  was  told  that  the  first  thing 
she  asked  for  was  tobacco. 

Continuing  our  journey  through  the  valley  of  a  tribu- 


122  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

tary  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  we  reached  Fort  Buchanan. 
This  fort,  Hke  most  of  our  military  establishments  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  consisted  simply  of  a  few  adobe 
houses,  scattered  in  a  straggling  manner  over  a  consider- 
able area,  and  without  even  a  stockade  defense.  What 
object  the  Government  had  in  prohibiting  the  building  of 
either  block  or  stockade  forts  I  could  never  learn.  Cer- 
tainly a  more  useless  system  of  fortification  than  that 
adopted  throughout  the  Indian  countries  cannot  be  well 
imagined.  The  Apaches  could,  and  frequently  did,  prowl 
about  the  very  doors  of  the  different  houses.  No  officer 
thought  of  going  from  one  house  to  another  at  night 
without  holding  himself  in  readiness  with  a  cocked  pistol. 
During  the  subsequent  troubles  with  the  Indians,  when 
the  scattered  white  population  was  being  massacred  on 
all  sides  for  want  of  protection  the  Government  was 
bound  to  give,  the  commandant  needed  the  whole  force 
of  150  or  200  men  to  defend  the  United  States  property, 
while  with  a  better  and  no  more  costly  system  of  fortifica- 
tion this  could  have  been  accompHshed  with  one-quarter 
that  number,  and  the  lives  of  many  settlers  saved  by  the 
remaining  force. 

The  next  day,  after  riding  out  with  Lieutenant  Evans 
to  see  some  springs  which  were  forming  a  heavy  deposit 
of  calcareous  tufa,  we  started  on  the  return  journey. 
We  had  passed  a  little  distance  beyond  a  thicket  about 
500  yards  from  the  fort  when  we  met  a  man  driving  a 
load  of  hay.  In  a  few  minutes,  hearing  the  report  of  a 
gun,  we  looked  back ;  but  having  made  a  turn  in  the  road, 
and  seeing  nothing,  we  rode  on  our  way.  Several  days 
afterward  I  learned  that  the  man  had  been  killed  by  In- 
dians hidden  in  the  thicket,  and  that  the  shot  we  heard 
was  the  fatal  one.  The  Apaches  were  probably  few  in 
number,  as  they  did  not  attack  us. 


LIFE  AT  THE  SANTA  RITA  MINES      123 

The  victim  was  a  young  man  from  the  Southern  states 
and  a  letter  in  his  pocket  showed  that  he  had  been  to 
California  to  free  and  place  in  safety  a  favorite  slave. 
On  his  way  home,  finding  himself  out  of  money,  he  had 
stopped  to  earn  enough  to  carry  him  through,  when  he 
died  the  common  death  of  the  country.  Four  years  later 
my  successor,  Mr.  W.  Wrightson,  and  Mr.  Hopkins  were 
killed  at  this  same  thicket  by  Apaches,  who  afterwards 
massacred  the  few  soldiers  left  to  garrison  the  fort. 

The  valley  of  Santa  Rita  had  been,  it  is  said,  twice  dur- 
ing the  past  two  centuries  the  scene  of  mining  industry; 
and  old  openings  on  some  of  the  veins,  as  well  as  ruined 
furnaces  and  arastras,  still  existed.  But  the  fierce 
Apaches  had  long  since  depopulated  the  country,  and, 
with  the  destruction  of  the  great  Jesuit  power,  all  attempt 
at  regular  mining  ceased. 

The  object  of  the  Santa  Rita  Company  was  to  reopen 
the  old  mines,  or  work  new  veins,  and  extract  the  im- 
mense quantities  of  silver  with  which  they  were  credited 
by  Mexican  tradition.  In  Mexico,  where  mining  is  the 
main  occupation  of  all  classes,  tales  of  the  enormous 
richness  of  some  region,  always  inaccessible,  are  handed 
down  from  generation  to  generation,  and  form  the  idle 
talk  of  the  entire  population.  The  nearer  an  ancient 
mine  to  the  heart  of  the  Apache  stronghold,  the  more 
massive  the  columns  of  native  silver  left  standing  as 
support  at  the  time  of  abandonment.  It  is  not  strange, 
therefore,  when  we  consider  how  easily  our  people  are 
swindled  in  mining  matters,  that  in  those  times  we  found 
them  lending  a  willing  ear  to  these  tales,  and  believing 
that  '*in  Arizona  the  hoofs  of  your  horses  throw  up 
silver  with  the  dust." 

A  number  of  veins  had  been  found  and  slightly  opened. 
Most  of  them  carried  argentiferous  copper  ores,  some  had 


124  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

galena  rich  in  silver,  and  one  had  native  silver.  They 
were,  however,  thin  veins.  The  problem  was  to  explore 
them  in  hope  of  their  enlarging  into  bonanzas.  The  com- 
pany owned  a  large  old  Spanish  grant  covering  extensive 
mineral  possibilities,  but  they  had  but  little  capital.  It 
was  necessary  to  work  up  all  the  ore  found  during  ex- 
ploration. Then,  too,  a  method  had  to  be  decided  on  for 
reducing  the  peculiar  varieties  of  ore. 

My  education  had  been  connected  with  processes  for 
working  on  a  large  scale  in  furnaces  built  with  fire-proof 
materials,  and  using  elaborate  machinery.  The  country 
offered  no  fire-proof  materials.  A  thousand  fire  bricks 
had,  indeed,  been  sent  by  wagon  from  the  East,  but  the 
Comanches  in  Texas  had  killed  the  driver,  burned  the 
wagon,  and  stolen  the  horses.     We  had  no  machinery. 

We  built  furnaces,  for  both  smelting  and  cupelling,  of 
sun-dried  mud  bricks,  much  like  those  of  the  Mexicans. 

Fortunately  we  had  a  large  blacksmith's  bellows.  We 
had  also  an  intelligent  American  carpenter,  and,  together, 
we  rigged  up  a  method  of  working  the  bellows  by  horse- 
power for  blowing  air  into  the  furnace. 

We  made  good  charcoal  from  the  mesqiiite  acacia. 

Although  the  pure  minerals  were  very  rich,  we  had  not 
enough  ore  to  meet  the  expense,  for  the  veins  were  thin, 
and  our  work  was  mere  prospecting. 

We  were  a  small  group  at  the  Santa  Rita.  Grosvenor, 
the  chief,  proved  himself  a  strong  and  lovable  character, 
and  was  an  artist  and  an  engraver  on  wood. 

Mr.  S.  Robinson,  the  bookkeeper,  had  studied  medicine 
under  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  and  had  settled  in 
Cincinnati.  Like  Grosvenor,  and  myself,  Robinson  had 
succumbed  to  the  lure  of  the  golden  desert. 

Our  cook,  named  Schmidt,  I  think,  was  a  German,  a 
very  poor  cook,  but  a  brave  man. 


LIFE  AT  THE  SANTA  RITA  MINES      123 

These,  with  myself,  are  the  dramatis  personce  of  the 
tragedy  of  the  Santa  Rita. 

I  look  back  on  my  life  in  the  early  months  of  my  stay 
there  as  full  of  quiet  charm  and  interest.  In  the  semi- 
desert  character  of  its  peculiar  plant  and  tree  Hfe,  like 
that  of  all  Arizona,  south  of  the  Gila,  it  was  in  most  re- 
spects unique  among  the  regions  of  the  world.  The 
weirdness  of  the  scenery  by  day,  and  yet  more  weird  in 
the  strong  contrasts  of  the  brilliant  Arizona  moonlight; 
the  character  of  the  outlaw  American  and  Mexican  in- 
habitants, and  the  human  background  of  savage  Apaches, 
all  lent  an  undertone  of  adventure  and  of  danger. 


CHAPTER  XVin 
OUTLAWS  AND  APACHES 

There  were  some  forewamings  which  lent  excitement 
to  the  life  upon  which  I  had  now  entered.  The  popula- 
tion of  Arizona,  excepting  a  few  widely  separated  Ameri- 
can ranch  owners  and  miners,  was  made  up  of  outlaws. 
There  were  refugees  from  the  vengeance  of  the  San 
Francisco  Vigilance  Committee,  and  from  the  States,  and 
there  were  escaped  convicts  from  Australia.  The  labor 
element  consisted  of  Mexicans,  largely  outlaws  from  Son- 
ora.  Back  of  these  were  the  ever-present,  rarely  visible 
Apaches.  Each  of  these  elements  was  charged  with  bolts 
that  might  at  any  moment,  at  any  place,  strike  from  a 
clear  sky.  When  I  arrived  at  the  mine  the  blacksmith, 
named  Rogers,  was  an  escaped  convict  from  Australia. 
He  was  in  the  habit  of  having  chills,  and  would  come 
shaking  to  Grosvenor  for  quinine,  which  he  could  only 
take  in  a  cup  full  of  whiskey.  His  chills  became  so  fre- 
quent that  we  grew  suspicious.  So  one  day  the  chief 
refused  him  his  dose  and  told  him  he  only  wanted  the 
drink.  Rogers  sprang  across  the  room  at  Grosvenor  with 
a  drawn  knife.  Grosvenor  parried  the  blow  and  knocked 
the  man  down,  and  we  disarmed  him. 

There  was  no  semblance  of  law  or  of  constituted  civil 
authority  in  Arizona.  Every  man  was  judge,  jury,  and 
sheriff;  back  of  him  was  the  quickly  formed  Vigilance 
Committee.  I  said  Rogers  must  be  hanged  at  once.  On 
the  other  hand  Grosvenor  made  him  stand  up,  and  gave 
him  fifteen  minutes  to  be  off  the  property. 

126 


OUTLAWS  AND  APACHES      127 

A  few  days  later  one  of  our  number  walking  in  Tubac 
was  hailed  from  a  house  by  Rogers,  who  asked  him  in. 
Rogers  opened  a  box  and  drawing  out  a  string  of  human 
ears  said :  **  Themes  eighteen  pairs  of  men's  ears.  I've 
sworn  I'll  make  it  twenty-five,  and  two  pairs  is  comin' 
from  your  mine ;  sabef  '* 

There  was  a  sequel.  Rogers  had  gotten  an  influence 
over  a  young  man  from  the  East  who  had  gone  to  the 
bad.  Together  they  waylaid  and  killed  a  man  to  get  his 
horse  and  arms.  This  might  have  passed  unnoticed  if 
the  victim  hadn't  been  more  popular  than  the  two.  Since 
he  was,  Rogers  and  his  pal  made  off  to  Sonora.  After 
some  time  a  Mexican  brought  into  Tubac  a  letter  ad- 
dressed: "To  the  Honorable  Alcalde  (Mayor)  of 
Tubac."  There  being  no  Alcalde,  honorable  or  dishon- 
orable in  Tubac,  nor  any  other  authority  of  any  kind,  the 
first-comer  opened  the  letter.  It  was  from  the  Alcalde 
of  the  city  of  Chihuahua.  It  said  that  two  Americans 
had  been  seen  together  on  horseback  approaching  the 
city,  and  since  only  one  of  them  had  entered  leading  a 
riderless  horse,  and  carrying  two  guns,  a  search  was 
made,  and  the  body  of  the  other  man,  shot  in  the  back, 
was  found  in  the  brush.  They  were  holding  the  man, 
who  called  himself  Rogers,  in  jail,  and  they  asked  where 
they  should  deliver  him.  No  one  answered,  because  no 
one  wanted  Rogers. 

Some  time  later  word  came,  in  a  Texas  paper  I  think, 
that  a  man,  by  the  name  of  Rogers,  had  been  found  at 
the  point  of  death  by  an  old  Mexican  near  El  Paso  del 
Norte  across  the  river  from  Texas.  The  old  man  and 
his  wife  had  taken  Rogers  into  their  house,  and  had 
nursed  him  back  to  health.  In  the  night  Rogers  had 
killed  the  old  man  and  his  wife  and  daughter,  to  get  the 
three  or  four  dollars  they  had  saved.     The  neighbors  had 


128  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

tracked  him,  hung  him  up  by  his  heels,  and  roasted  him 
with  a  fire  under  his  head. 

Rogers  was  one  of  the  very  few  white  men  that  I  have 
met  through  a  life  of  ample  experience  of  human  nature 
in  lawless  environments  who  were  thoroughly  and  meanly 
bad  to  the  core. 

There  were  two  brothers  from  the  East  who  were 
opening  a  mine,  San  Pedro,  several  miles  beyond  Fort 
Buchanan.  They  had  with  them  another  American  and 
a  German  mining  engineer  named  Bronkow,  and  a  num- 
ber of  Mexican  workmen.  One  of  the  brothers  went  one 
day  to  the  fort  for  supplies  and  returned  to  the  mine 
late  at  night.  In  hunting  for  matches  he  stumbled  over 
a  man  lying  on  the  floor.  Stooping  down  he  put  his  hand 
into  a  pool  of  blood.  In  the  dark  he  made  his  way  into 
another  room  and,  in  his  excitement,  fell  over  another 
body. 

Not  finding  matches  he  mounted  his  horse  and  hurried 
to  the  fort,  distracted  by  the  uncertainty  as  to  whether 
his  brother  was  one  of  the  dead. 

He  reached  the  fort  at  daybreak.  A  number  of  sol- 
diers, and  Grosvenor,  who  happened  to  be  at  the  fort, 
returned  to  the  mine  with  him.  They  found  that  the 
bodies  in  the  house  were  the  brother  and  the  other  Ameri- 
can. The  mining  engineer,  Bronkow,  was  missing,  but 
after  a  long  search  he  was  found  in  the  bottom  of  a 
shaft,  where  he  lay  dead  with  a  long  rock  drill  run 
through  his  body. 

The  Mexicans  were  gone.  They  had  killed  the  Ameri- 
cans and,  after  robbing  the  house,  had  escaped  to  Sonora 
with  the  horses. 

The  murdered  men  were  all  friends  of  Grosvenor.  He 
brought  away  the  miner's  compass  and  a  chemical  ther- 
mometer as  a  memento  of  his  German  friend. 


,^^_ 


"  Q»^*>.^^, 


Y'^/i«»t*ffU,^^ 


The  Indians  Yelled  and  Flourished  Lances  and  Bows. 
129 


130  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

There  was  a  young  Easterner,  a  "  tenderfoot "  like  me. 
We  had  heard  so  much  of  the  Apaches  ever  since  our 
arrival,  and  of  their  bloodthirstiness,  that  we  were  longing 
to  meet  them,  for  each  of  us  had  a  rifle  made  specially 
for  such  an  emergency.  Mine  had  two  barrels,  one  for 
a  large  ball  and  one  for  a  small  one ;  incidentally  it  only 
weighed  something  less  than  eighteen  pounds. 

We  two  had  come  in  to  dinner,  having  hitched  our 
horses  to  the  door  posts.  Suddenly  a  Mexican  rushed  in 
shouting : 

"  Los  Apaches,  los  Apaches,  they  have  stolen  horses." 

We  were  delighted.  Here  was  our  chance.  We  would 
overtake  and  shoot  those  Apaches.     Nothing  more  easy. 

In  an  instant  we  were  in  the  saddle.  About  a  mile  off 
we  saw  two  horses  being  driven  off  by  two  Indians.  As 
we  gained  on  them  slowly  we  could  see  that  the  Apaches 
were  really  running  with  a  peculiar  swaying  movement 
of  the  body.  They  were  naked,  their  hair  was  streaming 
out  behind. 

By  the  time  we  were  within  less  than  two  hundred 
yards  of  them  the  Indians  and  horses  had  disappeared 
beyond  the  dense  thicket  that  bordered  the  course  of  a 
stream.  Then  suddenly  the  whole  face  of  that  thicket 
was  alive  with  naked,  painted  Indians.  They  yelled  and 
flourished  lances  and  bows. 

Our  terrified  horses  stopped  short  and  plunged,  nearly 
unseating  us.  They  wanted  to  go  home  as  quickly  as 
possible.  So,  too,  did  each  of  their  riders,  but  each  one 
of  us  was  afraid  of  being  thought  a  coward  by  the  other. 
So,  having  heard  that  the  proper  thing  was  to  dismount 
and  shoot,  holding  the  horse  with  your  arm  through  the 
bridle,  we  jumped  off  and  tried  to  take  aim.  We  pulled 
triggers ;  both  missed  fire. 

The  Apaches  jeered;  they  jumped  up  and  down  slap- 


OUTLAWS  AND  APACHES      131 

ping  their  backsides.  It  was  our  salvation  that  we  were 
able  to  vault  into  our  saddles  instead  of  mounting  by 
the  stirrup. 

As  we  started  off  there  came  a  shower  of  spent  arrows 
after  us. 

Those  Indians  could  have  killed  us  easily  had  they 
wished,  but  the  Apaches  had  not  as  yet  been  roused  to  a 
just  resentment  for  treachery  on  the  part  of  our  troops. 

I  think  they  were  moved  by  a  sense  of  humor,  and  by 
the  apparent  bravery  of  the  two  tenderfeet ;  for  of  course 
they  didn't  know  why  we  hadn't  run  away  at  first. 

This  was  a  valuable  lesson.  It  gave  me  respect  for 
the  Indian,  and  some  insight  into  his  nature.  I  felt 
humbled  by  the  knowledge  that  we  owed  our  lives  to  the 
sense  of  humor  on  the  part  of  an  enemy  we  had  so  casu- 
ally thought  of  killing  and,  let  me  confess  it,  of  scalp- 
ing too. 

Not  long  after  this  three  mounted  Apaches  stole  some 
loose  horses.  We  were  in  quick  pursuit,  four  of  us,  when 
we  came  suddenly  on  thirty  or  forty  unmounted  Indians. 
They  were  running  over  a  wholly  open  area  covered  with 
rocks  one  or  two  feet  in  diameter.  The  ground  sloped 
gradually  away  from  us,  and  on  each  side  to  ravines. 

As  soon  as  we  saw  them,  they  instantly  disappeared 
from  sight.  Two  or  three  musket  balls  whizzed  past  us, 
and  the  smoke  showed  that  the  enemy  was  lying  flat, 
hidden  behind  the  rocks.  We  fired  at  the  places  the 
smoke  came  from,  and  waited  a  few  minutes  to  spot  a 
head.  Then  we  charged.  Not  an  Apache  was  there. 
They  had  wriggled  away  under  cover  of  the  rocks  into 
the  ravines  and  off.  Their  tactics  were  masterly.  They 
had  evidently  fired  to  concentrate  our  attention  on  one 
place,  while  they  escaped. 

Early  in  April,  I  think,  we  had  bought  forty  head  of 


132  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

cattle.  Because  they  were  new  to  the  place  we  put  them 
into  one  of  the  corrals,  and  turned  thirty  or  more  of  our 
horses  out,  knowing  that  they  would  stay  near  the  house. 
Everything  seemed  all  right. 

That  evening,  while  we  were  at  supper,  a  skunk  boldly 
entered  the  room.  We  watched  it  with  great  respect 
while  it  passed  by  the  table,  hoping  it  would  go  out  by 
the  door  beyond.  But  it  walked  into  the  large  room 
that  served  for  stores  and  office.  At  the  far  end  the 
animal  hid  itself  under  a  pile  of  bags  of  flour  that  stood 
on  boards  raised  about  six  inches  above  the  earthen  floor. 
With  a  candle  I  located  the  skunk.  I  fired  and  killed; 
but  too  late,  the  enemy  shot  first. 

How  little  we  knew  what  that  shot  was  to  cost  us! 
Our  thoughts  were  occupied  with  the  new  aspect  of  the 
atmosphere.  I  dragged  out  the  skunk  and,  holding  it 
by  the  tail,  went  out  and  hurled  it  forth  to  enliven  the 
night  air. 

Then  I  placed  under  the  pile  of  flour  a  saucer  filled 
with  materials  for  slow  generation  of  chlorine  gas.  The 
effect  was  magical ;  the  room  filled  with  the  fragrance  of 
a  really  delicate  perfume.     We  went  to  bed  quite  happy. 

The  light  of  the  just  rising  moon  showed  one  of  the 
horses  standing  asleep  in  front  of  my  window. 

Looking  out  at  daybreak  the  first  thing  we  saw  was  a 
thin  layer  of  snow  covering  the  ground.  Then  we  saw 
the  tracks  of  several  Apaches.  Not  a  horse.  A  fine 
watch  dog  lay  chained  in  his  kennel  at  the  gate  of  the 
corral,  not  fifty  feet  from  the  house.  He  was  still  there 
and  alive. 

The  dead  skunk  lay  at  the  very  door  of  the  kennel; 
it  had  landed  under  the  nose  of  the  dog,  obliterating  the 
odor  peculiar  to  the  Apache. 


OUTLAWS  AND  APACHES      133 

Snow  was  still  falling  very  gently,  and  we  saw  that  the 
tracks  could  be  hardly  an  hour  old. 

The  Indians  had  all  our  horses,  except  two  or  three 
that  were  away,  so  we  set  out  on  foot  in  pursuit.  The 
horse  tracks  were  plain,  and  we  followed  them  easily  for 
several  miles,  but  they  showed  that  the  Indians  were  now 
mounted,  and  going  rapidly.  My  heavy  rifle  grew  heavier 
and  heavier  till  I  lay  down  exhausted.  The  rest  of  the 
party  returned  soon,  with  an  old  horse  that  had  given 
out  and  been  abandoned. 

The  skunk  had  had  his  revenge ;  the  Apaches  had  our 
horses. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  APACHE  TERROR 

The  incidents  I  have  given  were  mere  omens  of  what 
was  to  come. 

Soon  after  the  loss  of  our  horses,  there  came  word 
that  the  troops  were  ordered  to  abandon  the  country  and 
go  to  the  East  to  be  employed  in  the  war. 

There  were  two  bodies  of  these,  one  of  infantry  at 
Fort  Buchanan,  about  twenty  miles  from  us,  and  one  of 
dragoons  sixty  or  seventy  miles  away.  These  troops 
were  the  only  protection  that  stood  between  us  and  the 
Apaches. 

The  news  of  the  impending  withdrawal  caused  great 
excitement  among  the  small  number  of  settlers  who  were 
scattered  over  the  country. 

To  make  the  matter  worse,  the  military  began  an  un- 
called-for war  with  the  Apaches.  In  April,  I  believe, 
some  Indians,  of  what  tribe  was  not  known,  carried  off 
a  cow  and  a  child  belonging  to  a  Mexican  woman  living 
with  an  American.  Upon  the  application  of  the  latter, 
the  commandant  at  Fort  Buchanan  despatched  a  force  of 
seventy-five  men  to  the  nearest  Apache  tribe.  The  only 
interpreter  attached  to  the  expedition  was  the  American 
who  was  directly  interested  in  the  result. 

Arriving  at  Apache  Pass,  the  home  of  the  tribe,  the 
lieutenant  in  command  raised  a  white  flag  over  his  tent, 
under  the  protection  of  which  six  of  the  principal  chiefs, 

134 


THE  Apache  terror  135 

including  Cochese,  great  chief  of  the  Apache  nation,  came 
to  the  camp,  and  were  invited  into  the  tent. 

A  demand  was  made  for  the  child  and  cow,  to  which 
the  Indians  replied,  truly  or  falsely,  that  they  had  not 
been  stolen  by  their  tribe. 

After  a  long  parley  they  were  seized.  One  of  the  num- 
ber, in  trying  to  escape,  was  knocked  down  and  pinned 
to  the  ground  with  a  bayonet.  Four  others  were  bound, 
but  Cochese,  seizing  a  knife  from  a  cot,  slashed  his  way 
through  the  canvas  and  escaped,  with  three  bullets  in  his 
body,  fired  by  the  outside  guard. 

And  this  happened  under  a  United  States  flag  of  truce ! 

At  this  time  three  of  the  most  powerful  tribes  of  the 
nation  were  concentrated  at  Apache  Pass,  and,  when 
Cochese  arrived  among  them,  a  war  of  extermination  was 
immediately  declared  against  the  whites. 

The  next  day  they  killed  some  Mexican  prisoners,  and 
in  retaliation  the  five  chiefs  were  hanged  in  sight  of  their 
people.  Our  troops,  after  being  badly  beaten,  were 
obliged  to  return  to  the  fort. 

In  the  meantime  orders  came  for  the  abandonment  of 
the  territory  by  the  soldiers.  The  country  was  thrown 
into  consternation.  The  Apaches  began  to  ride  through 
it  rough-shod,  succeeding  in  all  their  attacks.  The  set- 
tlers, mostly  farmers,  abandoned  their  crops,  and  with 
their  families  concentrated  for  mutual  protection  at  Tuc- 
son, Tubac,  and  at  one  or  two  ranches,  and  at  a  distant 
mine. 

When,  in  addition  to  this,  the  news  came  of  the  be- 
ginning of  the  rebellion  in  the  East,  we  decided  that,  as 
it  would  be  impossible  to  hold  our  mines,  our  only 
course  was  to  remove  the  portable  property  of  the  com- 
pany to  Tubac.  We  were  entirely  out  of  money,  owing 
back  pay  to  a  considerable  force  of  Mexican  workmen, 


136  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

and  to  two  or  three  Americans,  and  we  needed  means  for 
paying  for  the  transportation  of  the  property,  and  for 
getting  ourselves  out  of  the  country. 

Our  stock  of  ore  was  far  too  small  to  furnish  the 
amount  of  silver  needed  to  meet  these  demands,  and  our 
main  hope  lay  in  the  possibility  of  collecting  debts  due 
to  the  company.  In  pursuance  of  this  plan  I  started 
alone,  but  well  armed,  to  visit  the  Heintzelman  mine,  one 
of  our  principal  debtors.  The  ride  of  forty  miles  was 
made  in  safety,  and  in  the  afternoon  I  reached  the  house 
of  the  superintendent,  Mr.  J.  Poston.  Not  being  able 
to  obtain  money  (for  no  one  could  afford  to  part  with 
bullion,  even  to  pay  debts)  I  took  payment  in  ore  worth 
nearly  $2,000  per  ton,  together  with  a  little  flour  and 
bolts  of  cotton  cloth.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon 
this  was  despatched  in  charge  of  two  of  the  most  fear- 
less Mexicans  at  the  mine  in  Poston's  service. 

The  next  morning,  April  24,  1861,  I  started  homeward 
alone,  riding  a  horse  I  had  bought,  and  driving  before 
me  the  one  that  brought  me  over.  I  had  so  much  trouble 
with  the  loose  animal  that  night  found  me  several  miles 
from  our  hacienda. 

Only  those  who  have  traveled  in  a  country  of  hostile 
Indians  know  what  it  can  be  to  journey  by  night.  The 
uncertain  light  of  the  stars,  or  even  of  the  moon,  left 
open  the  widest  field  for  the  imagination.  Fancy  gave 
life  to  the  blackened  yucca,  and  transformed  the  tall  stem 
of  the  century  plant  into  the  lance  of  an  Apache.  The 
ear  of  the  traveler  listened  anxiously  to  the  breathing  of 
his  horse;  his  eye  ever  on  the  alert,  before  and  behind, 
watched  the  motions  of  the  horse's  ears,  and  looked  for 
the  lurking  place  of  an  Indian. 

Still,  night  was  the  less  dangerous  time  to  travel,  for 
one  was  not  as  easily  seen  at  a  distance  as  by  day.     But 


THE  APACHE  TERROR  137 

after  a  few  night  journeys  I  found  the  nervous  tension  so 
unbearable  that  I  always  chose  the  daytime,  preferring 
to  run  a  far  greater  risk  of  death  to  being  made  the  prey 
of  an  overstrained  imagination.  Then,  too,  in  such  a 
state  of  society  as  then  existed,  the  traveler  in  the  dead 
of  night  approached  a  solitary  house,  perhaps  his  own, 
with  much  anxiety;  it  was  uncertain  whether  he  might 
not  find  only  dead  bodies. 

About  three  miles  from  the  hacienda,  in  the  most  rocky 
part  of  the  valley,  the  horse  in  front  stopped  short,  and 
both  animals  began  to  snort  and  show  signs  of  fear. 
This  may  have  been  due  to  Indians  or  to  a  mountain  lion. 
Both  horses  started  off  at  a  runaway  speed,  leaving  all 
control  over  either  one  out  of  the  question.  Fortunately, 
the  free  horse,  followed  by  my  own,  first  made  a  long 
circuit,  and  then  bounded  off  toward  the  hacienda. 
After  a  breakneck  course  over  stony  ground,  leaping 
rocks  and  cacti,  down  and  up  steep  hills,  and  tearing 
through  thorny  bushes,  with  clothing  torn  and  with 
legs  pierced  by  the  Spanish  bayonet,  I  reached  the 
house. 

The  wagon  with  the  ore,  although  due  that  morning, 
had  not  arrived,  and  this  was  the  more  remarkable  as  I 
had  not  seen  it  on  the  road.  When  noon  came,  and  the 
ore  still  had  not  arrived,  we  concluded  that  the  Mexicans, 
who  well  knew  its  value,  had  stolen  it,  packed  it  on  the 
mules,  and  taken  the  road  to  Sonora. 

Acting  upon  this  supposition,  Grosvenor  and  I  mounted 
our  horses,  and,  armed  and  provisioned  for  a  ten  days' 
absence,  started  in  pursuit.  Each  of  us  carried  a  carbine 
and  two  revolvers,  and  a  blanket  rolled  behind  the  saddle. 
Our  provisions  were  simple.  Each  had  a  bag  of  penole 
—  powdered  parched  corn  mixed  with  nearly  half  its 
weight  of  Mexican  brown  sugar;  coffee,  and  a  tin  cup 


138  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

completed  our  outfit.  We  rode  two  miles  to  a  point 
where  the  road  turned  to  the  right  to  set  an  easy  grade 
over  a  spur  of  the  mesa.  To  avoid  this  bend  we  rode 
straight  ahead  on  a  trail  over  the  spur  and  descended 
to  cross  the  narrow  valley  beyond.  The  wagon  road 
crossed  a  few  hundred  yards  further  up,  and  then  by  an 
easy  ascent  joined  our  trail  at  the  top  of  the  mesa. 

We  were  just  crossing  the  bottom  of  the  valley  to 
climb  the  opposite  hill  when,  looking  up,  we  saw  the 
missing  wagon  just  coming  in  sight  and  beginning  the 
opposite  descent.  One  of  the  Mexicans  rode  a  wheel 
mule,  while  the  other  was  walking  ahead  of  the  leaders. 
I  noticed  that  neither  of  them  carried  their  guns,  which 
were  probably  left  in  the  wagon.  We  had  evidently 
judged  our  men  wrongly,  and  when  Grosvenor  proposed 
that  we  should  go  on  and  come  back  with  them  I  objected, 
on  the  ground  that  the  Mexicans,  seeing  us  prepared  for 
a  journey,  would  know  at  once  that  we  had  suspected 
them.  We  therefore  decided  to  turn  back,  but  taking 
another  way  homeward  we  quickly  lost  sight  of  the 
wagon.  After  riding  a  few  hundred  yards  we  dis- 
mounted at  a  spring,  rolled  a  cigarette,  and  then  rode 
home. 

As  the  afternoon  passed  away  without  the  arrival  of 
the  wagon,  we  supposed  it  had  broken  down,  and  at  twi- 
light Grosvenor  proposed  that  we  should  walk  out  and 
see  what  had  caused  the  delay.  Taking  down  my  hat,  I 
answered :  "  All  right,  but  to-morrow  Fve  got  to  begin 
the  smelting,  and  I  want  to  finish  to-night  the  map  and 
record  of  the  property  needed  for  future  use.  After  all, 
the  Mexicans  will  send  up  if  they  need  any  help."  My 
friend  said :  "  You're  quite  right.  I'll  only  go  a  little 
way  fof  a  walk."  It  was  soon  dark,  and  Robinson  and 
I  sat  down  to  tea.     By  the  time  we  left  the  table  Gros- 


THE  APACHE  TERROR  139 

venor  had  been  out  half  an  hour,  and  we  concluded  to 
go  after  him. 

I  will  diverge  here  to  tell  of  a  remarkable  dream  of 
Grosvenor's  which  recurred  to  us  after  the  events  which 
follow  this  point  in  my  narrative.  Grosvenor  had  told 
it  early  in  the  winter.  He  had  been  born  in  Ohio,  and 
had  never  seen  the  sea.  When  he  was  a  child  he  dreamed 
that  he  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  ocean.  He  saw  a  small 
black  line  rise  on  the  horizon.  He  watched  it  and  saw 
it  rise  slowly.  A  small  black  spot  appeared  under  it. 
He  said  the  thing  then  looked  like  an  exclamation  point. 
Then  he  saw  that  it  was  moving  up  and  down.  It  held 
him  fascinated.  Days  and  weeks  seemed  to  pass  as  the 
thing  slowly  rose  and  fell.  It  rose  higher  each  time 
than  the  time  before,  and  grew  ever  longer  and  longer 
till  it  reached  high  toward  the  sky;  and  this  continued 
till  he  knew  that  with  the  next  descent  the  thing  would 
crush  him,  but  just  before  it  could  strike  him  he  awoke. 

Grosvenor  said  that  after  this  the  dream  came  back 
so  often  that  he  grew  thin,  and  his  health  was  affected 
by  it.  This  lasted  for  years,  the  dream  coming  more 
rarely  till  it  stopped  its  torments  when  he  was  in  his 
teens. 

Grosvenor  told  this  so  dramatically  that  it  made  a 
strong  impression  on  us ;  the  **  exclamation  point "  be- 
came a  household  word  with  us. 

About  the  beginning  of  April  Grosvenor  went  alone  to 
Tubac  for  the  mail.     When  he  returned  he  said : 

"  Pumpelly,  I  wish  you  would  send  some  Mexicans  to 
the  Point  of  Rocks  to  look  for  tracks.  When  I  got  there 
I  heard  '  ha !  ha !  ha ! '  I  couldn't  see  any  one,  but  there 
must  be  Indians  near." 

The  trackers  returned  without  having  found  fresh 
tracks. 


140  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

The  next  week  Grosvenor  went  again  alone  for  the 
mail.     When  he  returned  he  said : 

*'  Pumpelly,  I  wish  you  would  take  the  trackers  and 
look  yourself.  When  I  came  near  the  Point  of  Rocks, 
I  heard  it  again :  *  ha !  ha !  ha !  *  There  must  be  Indians 
around  there." 

So  I  went  with  the  Mexicans.  We  found  no  fresh 
signs. 

The  next  week  Grosvenor  went  again  for  the  mail.  I 
met  him  as  he  returned  in  the  afternoon.     He  said : 

"  Pumpelly,  I  want  to  take  the  Mexicans  and  search 
the  place  myself.  I  heard  clearly  the  same  shout :  *  ha ! 
ha!  ha!'" 

When  Grosvenor  came  back  before  dusk,  and  I  held 
his  horse  while  he  got  off,  he  seemed  downcast.  As  he 
passed  to  go  into  the  house  he  turned  to  me : 

"  Pumpelly,  /  have  heard  the  exclamation,"  evidently 
referring  to  his  dream. 

Now  I  will  resume  my  narrative  after  the  delay  of  the 
wagon. 

Accompanied  by  Robinson,  and  leaving  the  cook  to 
take  care  of  the  house,  I  walked  along  the  Tubac  road. 
We  were  both  well  armed ;  and  the  full  moon,  just  rising 
above  the  horizon  behind  us,  brilliantly  lighted  the  whole 
country.  We  had  gone  about  two  miles,  and  were  just 
beginning  to  ascend  the  grade  over  the  spur  mentioned 
above  when,  hearing  the  mewing  of  our  house-cat,  I 
stopped,  and,  as  she  came  running  toward  us,  stooped, 
and  took  her  in  my  arms. 

As  I  did  so,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  her  sniffing 
the  air  and  fixing  her  eyes  on  some  object  ahead  of  us. 
Looking  in  the  direction  thus  indicated,  we  could  dis- 
tinguish near  the  roadside  on  the  top  of  the  hill  the 
crouching  figure  of  a  man,  his  form  for  a  moment  just 


THE  APACHE  TERROR  141 

defined  against  the  starlit  sky,  and  then  disappearing  be- 
hind a  cactus.  I  dropped  the  cat,  which  bounded  on 
ahead  of  us,  and  we  cocked  our  pistols  and  walked  briskly 
up  the  hill.  But  when  we  reached  the  cactus  the  man 
was  gone.  Of  Grosvenor  we  as  yet  saw  nothing.  Con- 
tinuing our  way  at  a  rapid  pace  and  full  of  anxiety,  we 
began  the  long  descent  toward  the  arroyo,  from  which  we 
had  seen  the  wagon  at  noon.  Turning  a  bend  about 
half-way  down,  we  caught  sight  of  the  wagon  drawn  off 
from  the  road  on  the  further  side  of  the  arroyo.  The 
deep  silence  that  always  reigns  in  those  mountains  was 
unbroken,  and  neither  mules  nor  men  were  visible.  Ob- 
serving something  very  white  near  the  wagon,  we  at  first 
took  it  for  the  reflected  light  of  a  camp-fire,  and  con- 
cluded that  the  Mexicans  were  encamped  behind  some 
rocks,  and  that  with  them  we  should  find  our  friend. 
But  it  was  soon  evident  that  what  we  saw  was  a  heap  of 
flour  reflecting  the  moonlight.  Anxiously  watching  this 
and  the  wagon,  we  came  around  a  slight  bend  in  the 
road,  and  had  approached  within  about  twenty  yards  of 
the  wagon  when  we  both  started  back  —  we  had  nearly 
trodden  on  a  man  lying  in  the  road.  My  first  thought 
was  that  it  was  a  strange  place  to  sleep  in,  but  he  was 
naked.  The  first  idea  had  barely  time  to  flash  through 
my  mind,  when  another  followed  —  it  was  not  sleep  but 
death. 

As  we  stooped  down  and  looked  closer,  the  truth  we 
had  both  instinctively  felt  was  evident  —  the  murdered 
man  was  Grosvenor. 

For  the  first  time  I  stood  an  actor  in  a  scene  of  death, 
the  victim  a  dear  friend,  the  murderers  and  the  deed  itself 
buried  in  mystery. 

His  head  lay  in  a  pool  of  blood;  two  lance  wounds 
through  the  throat  had  nearly  severed  the  head  from  the 


142  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

body,  which  was  pierced  by  a  dozen  other  thrusts.  A 
bullet  hole  in  the  left  breast  had  probably  caused  death 
before  he  was  mutilated  with  lances.  Evidently  he  had 
not  moved  since  he  fell  by  the  shot  that  took  his  life. 
He  lay  face  down,  and  as  the  feet  had  been  stretched  out 
in  stripping  the  corpse  so  they  remained  stretched  out 
when  we  found  him.  The  body  was  still  warm;  indeed, 
he  could  not  have  reached  the  spot  when  we  left  the  house. 

Grosvenor  died  at  the  place  where  he  had  heard,  or 
thought  he  heard,  the  exclamation  that  he  connected  with 
his  dream. 

I  have  seen  death  since,  and  repeatedly  under  circum- 
stances almost  equally  awful,  but  never  with  so  intense  a 
shock.  For  a  minute  that  seemed  an  age  we  were  so  un- 
nerved that  I  doubt  whether  we  could  have  resisted  an  at- 
tack, but  fortunately  our  own  situation  soon  brought  us  to 
our  senses.  We  were  on  foot,  two  miles  from  the  house, 
and  the  murderers,  whoever  they  might  be,  could  not  be 
far  off,  if  indeed  the  spy  we  had  seen  had  not  already 
started  them  after  us.  Looking  toward  the  wagon,  I 
thought  I  could  discover  other  bodies ;  but  we  knew  that 
every  instant  was  of  great  importance,  and,  without  ven- 
turing to  examine  closer,  we  started  homeward,  the  cat 
going  ahead  of  us.  There  was  only  one  white  man  at  the 
hacienda,  and  a  large  number  of  peons,  and  we  did  not 
yet  know  whether  the  murderers  were  Indians,  or  the 
two  Mexicans,  who  might  be  in  collusion  with  our  own 
workmen. 

If  they  were  Indians,  we  might  escape  by  reaching  the 
house  before  they  could  overtake  us ;  but  if  they  were  our 
Mexicans,  we  could  hardly  avoid  the  fate  the  cook  at  the 
house  must  already  have  met  with. 

Uncertain  whether  we  were  going  away  from  danger  or 
into  it,  we  walked  rapidly  on  constantly  on  the  alert.     In 


THE  APACHE  TERROR  143 

this  manner  we  went  on  till  we  reached  a  place  where 
the  road  lay  for  some  distance  through  a  dense  thicket  — 
the  very  spot  for  an  ambush.  We  had  now  to  decide 
whether  to  take  this,  the  shorter  way,  or  another  which, 
by  detaining  us  a  little  while  longer,  would  lead  us  over 
an  open  country,  where  we  could  in  the  bright  moonlight 
see  every  object  within  a  long  distance.  The  idea  of 
being  able  to  defend  ourselves  tempted  us  strongly  to- 
ward the  open  plain,  but  the  consciousness  of  the  value  of 
every  minute  made  us  decide  quickly  to  take  the  shorter 
way.  Nothing  happened  until,  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  hacienda,  we  began  to  hear  Apache  signals  given 
and  answered,  and  looking  back  we  saw  several  Indians 
coming  into  view ;  but  we  gained  the  door  safely,  and 
found  all  as  we  had  left  it.  The  American,  unaware  of 
danger,  was  making  bread ;  and  the  Mexicans  were  asleep 
in  their  quarters.  We  kept  guard  all  night,  but  were 
not  attacked. 

Before  daylight  we  despatched  a  Mexican  courier 
across  the  mountains  to  the  fort,  and  another  to  Tubac, 
and  then  went  after  Grosvenor's  body.  We  found  it  as 
we  had  left  it,  while  near  the  wagon  lay  the  bodies  of  the 
two  Mexican  teamsters.  Poston  came  in  the  forenoon 
with  fifteen  Papago  Indians  who  were  able  to  read  the 
history  of  the  whole  murderous  affair.  The  wagon  must 
have  been  attacked  within  less  than  five  minutes  after  we 
had  seen  it  at  noon,  indeed  while  we  were  resting  and 
smoking  at  the  spring  not  four  hundred  yards  from  the 
spot.  A  party  of  Indians,  fifteen  in  number,  as  we 
found  by  the  tracks,  had  sprung  upon  the  unarmed  Mexi- 
cans ;  the  sand  showed  the  marks  of  a  desperate  hand  to 
hand  struggle.  When  they  had  killed  the  men,  the 
Apaches  cut  the  animals  loose,  packed  the  empty  bags 
and  cotton  cloth,  and  went  to  a  spring  a  mile  or  two  dis- 


144        ^  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

tant,  where  they  feasted  on  a  mule.  A  party  was  left 
behind  to  waylay  such  of  us  as  might  come  out  to  meet 
the  team.  When  Grosvenor  neared  the  spot,  he  was  shot 
by  an  Indian,  who,  crouching  behind  a  cactus  about  ten 
feet  distant,  had  left  the  impression  of  his  gunstock  in 
the  sand.  At  the  same  instant  two  others  lanced  him 
through  the  throat.  Knowing  well  that  their  victim 
would  be  sought  by  others,  they  had  left  the  spy  we  had 
seen;  and  had  not  the  cat  directed  our  attention  to  him 
at  the  moment  when  he  was  moving  stealthily  away, 
thereby  causing  us  to  walk  rapidly  to  the  scene  of  the 
murder,  and  faster  back,  we  could  hardly  have  escaped 
the  fate  of  our  friend.  We  remembered  that  our  dogs 
had  barked  all  the  afternoon  with  their  noses  pointed 
w^est.  Both  they  and  the  cat  had  scented  the  Indians  or 
the  carnage. 

During  the  day,  April  2^^  1861,  Lieutenant  Evans  ar- 
rived with  a  force  of  nineteen  soldiers,  having  with  dif- 
ficulty obtained  the  consent  of  his  commandant,  and  soon 
after  Colonel  Poston  reached  the  mines  with  a  party  of 
Americans.  Graves  had  been  dug,  and,  after  reading 
the  burial  service  and  throwing  in  the  earth,  we  fired  a 
volley  and  turned  away,  no  one  knowing  how  soon  his 
time  might  come. 


CHAPTER  XX 
A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE 

I  NOW  foresaw  a  long  and  dangerous  work  before  us 
in  extracting  the  silver  from  the  ore.  We  could,  indeed, 
have  abandoned  the  mines,  and  have  escaped  by  accom- 
panying the  military,  who  were  to  leave  in  two  weeks. 
But  both  Mr.  Robinson  and  myself  considered  that  we 
were  in  duty  bound  to  place  the  movable  property  of  the 
company  in  safety  at  Tubac,  and  to  pay  in  bullion  the 
money  owing  to  the  men.  To  accomplish  this  would  re- 
quire six  weeks'  work  at  the  furnace,  crippled  as  were 
all  operations  by  the  loss  of  our  horses  and  mules. 

It  was  of  the  first  importance  that  we  should  increase 
our  force  of  Americans,  not  only  for  protection  against 
the  Apaches,  but  more  especially  against  the  possible 
treachery  of  our  Mexican  workmen,  for  at  almost  every 
mine  in  the  country  a  part  or  all  of  the  whites  had  been 
murdered  by  their  peons.  A  man  named  Stickney,  one  of 
the  party  which  had  come  that  day  from  Tubac,  was 
engaged  on  the  spot.  Partly  in  the.  hope  of  getting  a 
small  force  of  soldiers  who  should  remain  till  the  aban- 
donment began,  and  partly  to  persuade  two  Americans 
who  lived  on  the  road  to  the  fort  to  join  us,  I  resolved 
to  accompany  Lieutenant  Evans,  who  was  obliged  to 
return  the  next  day. 

Taking  with  me  a  young  Apache  who  had  been  cap- 
tured while  a  child,  and  had  no  sympathy  with  his  tribe, 
I  rode  away  with  Lieutenant  Evans,  intending  to  return 

145 


146  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

the  next  day.  The  wagon  road  lay  for  ten  miles  along 
a  tributary  of  the  Sonoita  valley,  then  ascended  the  Son- 
oita  for  twelve  miles  to  the  fort,  where  a  bridle-path 
across  the  hills  shortened  the  distance  some  two  or  three 
miles,  by  leaving  the  road  before  the  junction  of  the  two 
valleys.  To  reach  the  house  of  the  Titus  brothers,  whom 
I  wished  to  see,  we  should  have  to  follow  the  wagon  road 
all  the  way;  and  as  more  than  a  mile  of  it  before  the 
junction  of  the  valleys  lay  through  a  narrow  and  dan- 
gerous defile,  on  an  Apache  war  trail  that  was  constantly 
frequented  by  the  Indians,  Lieutenant  Evans  would  not 
assume  the  responsibility  of  risking  the  lives  of  his  men 
in  a  place  where  they  would  be  at  such  disadvantage. 
While  I  felt  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  it  would  be  im- 
prudent to  take  infantry  mounted  on  mules  through  the 
defile,  it  was  of  the  first  necessity  that  I  should  see  the 
Americans  living  near  the  junction  of  the  valleys.  At 
the  point  where  the  hill  trail  left  the  road,  bidding  good-by 
to  Lieutenant  Evans,  who,  could  he  have  left  his  men, 
would  have  accompanied  me  himself,  I  was  soon  alone 
with  Juan,  my  Apache  boy.  As  we  neared  the  gorge  I 
observed  that  Juan,  who  was  galloping  ahead,  suddenly 
stopped  and  hesitated.  As  I  came  up  he  pointed  to  the 
sand,  which  was  covered  with  fresh  foot-tracks. 

It  was  evident  that  a  considerable  party  of  Indians  had 
been  here  within  half  an  hour,  and  had  suddenly  dis- 
persed in  diflferent  directions  in  the  hills.  Our  safest 
course  seemed  to  be  to  press  forward  and  reach  Titus's 
house,  now  about  two  miles  off.  We  were  on  good 
horses,  and  these  animals,  not  less  alarmed  than  our- 
selves, soon  brought  us  through  the  defile  to  the  Sonoita 
creek.  We  slipped  our  horses'  bridles  without  dismount- 
ing, and  refreshed  them  with  one  long  swallow.  We  had 
barely  left  the  creek  when  we  passed  the  full-length  im- 


A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE  147 

pression  of  a  man's  form  in  the  sand,  with  a  pool  of 
blood,  and  at  the  same  instant  an  unearthly  yell  from  the 
hills  behind  us  showed  that  the  Apaches,  although  not 
visible,  were  after  us,  and  felt  sure  of  bringing  us  down. 
Our  horses,  however,  fearing  nothing  so  much  as  an  In- 
dian, almost  flew  over  the  ground  and  quickly  brought  us 
in  sight  of  Titus's  hacienda.  This  lay  about  two  hundred 
yards  off  from  the  road  in  a  broad  valley  shaded  by  mag- 
nificent live-oaks. 

As  we  rode  rapidly  toward  the  houses  I  was  struck 
with  the  quietness  of  a  place  generally  full  of  life,  and 
said  so  to  Juan. 

*'It's  all  right,"  he  replied.  **  I  saw  three  men  just 
now  near  the  house." 

But  as  we  passed  the  first  building,  a  smith's  shop,  both 
horses  shied,  and  as  we  came  to  the  principal  house  a 
scene  of  destruction  met  our  eyes.  The  doors  had  been 
forced  in,  and  the  whole  contents  of  the  house  lay  on  the 
ground  outside,  in  heaps  of  broken  rubbish.  As  I  started 
to  dismount,  to  look  for  the  bodies  of  the  Americans, 
Juan  begged  of  me  not  to  stop. 

"  They  are  all  killed,"  he  said,  "  and  we  shall  have 
hardly  time  to  reach  the  road  before  the  Indians  come 
up.  Promise  me,"  he  continued,  "that  you  will  fight 
when  the  devils  close  with  us;  if  not  I  will  save  myself 
now." 

Assuring  the  boy,  whom  I  knew  to  be  brave,  that  I  had 
no  idea  of  being  scalped  and  burned  without  a  struggle,  I 
put  spurs  to  my  horse,  and  we  were  soon  on  the  main 
road,  but  not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  a  large  party  of 
Apaches,  fortunately  for  us  on  foot,  were  just  coming 
down  the  hill,  and  entered  the  trail  close  behind  us.  A 
volley  of  arrows  flew  by  our  heads,  but  in  a  few  seconds 
our  horses  carried  us  out  of  reach,  and  the  enemy  turned 


148  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

back.  Slackening  our  speed,  we  were  nearing  a  point 
where  the  road  crossed  a  low  spur  of  the  valley  terrace 
when  suddenly  several  heads  were  visible  for  an  instant 
over  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  as  quickly  disappeared. 
Instantly  guessing  that  we  were  cut  off  by  another  band 
of  Indians,  and  knowing  that  our  only  course  was  to  run 
the  gantlet,  we  rode  slowly  to  near  the  top  of  the  hill  to 
rest  our  animals,  and  then  spurred  the  horses  onward, 
determined  if  possible  to  break  the  ambush.  We  were 
on  the  point  of  firing  into  a  party  of  men  who  came  in 
full  view  as  we  galloped  over  the  brow  of  the  hill,  but 
instead  of  Apaches  they  were  soldiers  and  Mexicans. 
They  had  been  burying  an  American  who  had  been  killed 
that  morning.  It  was  the  impression  of  this  man's  body 
which  we  had  seen  near  the  creek.  He  had  been  to  the 
fort  to  give  notice  of  the  massacre  of  a  family  living 
further  down  the  river,  and  on  his  return  had  met  the 
same  fate,  about  an  hour  before  we  passed  the  spot.  An 
arrow,  shot  from  above,  had  entered  his  left  shoulder  and 
penetrated  to  the  ribs  of  the  other  side,  and  in  pulling 
this  shaft  out  a  terrible  feature  of  these  weapons  was 
illustrated.  The  flint-head,  fastened  to  the  shaft  with  a 
thong  of  deer-sinew,  remained  firmly  attached  while  this 
binding  was  dry ;  but  as  soon  as  it  was  moistened  by  the 
blood,  the  head  became  loose,  and  remained  in  the  body 
after  the  arrow  was  withdrawn.  The  Apaches  had  sev- 
eral ways  of  producing  terrible  wounds;  among  others 
by  firing  bullets  chipped  from  the  half-oxidized  mats  of 
old  furnace  heaps,  containing  copper  and  lead  combined 
with  sulphur  and  arsenic.  But  perhaps  the  worst,  at 
short  range,  were  produced  by  bullets  made  from  the 
fiber  of  the  aloe  root,  which  were  almost  always  fatal, 
since  it  was  impossible  to  clear  the  wound. 


A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE  149 

On  reaching  the  fort  and  seeing  the  commandant,  I 
was  told  that  he  could  not  take  the  responsibility  of 
weakening  his  force.  As  the  troops  from  Fort  Breck- 
enridge  were  expected  in  a  few  days,  I  was  led  to  believe 
that  after  their  arrival  I  might  obtain  a  small  number  of 
soldiers.  But  when,  after  several  days  had  passed  with- 
out bringing  these  troops,  the  commandant  told  me  that 
not  only  would  it  be  impossible  to  give  us  any  protection 
at  the  Santa  Rita,  but  that  he  could  not  even  give  me  an  es- 
cort thither,  I  resolved  to  return  immediately  with  only 
the  boy  Juan.  In  the  meantime  a  rumor  reached  the  fort 
that  a  large  body  of  Apaches  had  passed  through  the 
Santa  Rita  valley,  and  probably  massacred  our  people, 
and  were  menacing  Tubac.  I  was  certainly  never  under 
a  stronger  temptation  than  I  felt  then  to  accept  the 
warmly-pressed  invitation  of  the  officers  to  leave  the 
country  with  the  military,  and  give  up  all  idea  of  return- 
ing to  what  they  represented  as  certain  death.  But  I  felt 
forced  to  go  back,  and  Juan  and  I  mounted  our  horses. 
I  had  hardly  bid  the  officers  good-by  when  Robert  Ward, 
an  old  frontiersman,  joined  us,  and  declared  his  intention 
of  trying  to  reach  his  wife,  who  was  in  Tubac.  As  we  left 
the  fort  a  fine  pointer  belonging  to  the  commandant  fol- 
lowed us,  and,  as  he  had  become  attached  to  me,  we  had 
no  difficulty  and  few  scruples  in  enticing  him  away  to 
swell  our  party.  We  took  the  hill  trail,  it  being  both 
shorter  and  safer,  and  had  reached  a  point  within  three 
miles  of  the  Santa  Rita  without  meeting  any  fresh  signs 
of  Indians  when  the  dog,  which  kept  always  on  the  trail 
ahead  of  us,  after  disappearing  in  the  brush  by  an  arroyo, 
came  back  growling,  and  with  his  tail  between  his  legs. 
We  were  then  two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  the 
thicket,  and  quickening  our  horses  we  left  the  trail  and 


150  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

crossed  the  arroyo  a  hundred  yards  or  more  above  the 
ambush;  for  such  the  dry  tracks  in  the  sand,  where  we 
did  cross,  showed  it  probably  to  be. 

We  reached  our  mines  safely,  and  found  that,  although 
they  had  been  almost  constantly  surrounded  by  Apaches, 
who  had  cut  off  all  communications  with  Tubac,  there 
had  been  no  direct  attack.  Our  entire  Mexican  force 
was  well  armed,  a  fact  which,  while  it  kept  off  the  In- 
dians, rendered  it  necessary  that  our  guard  over  the 
peons  should  never  cease.  Nor  did  we  once,  during  the 
long  weeks  that  followed,  place  ourselves  in  a  position 
to  be  caught  at  a  disadvantage.  Under  penalty  of  death 
no  Mexican  was  allowed  to  pass  certain  limits,  and  in 
turn  our  party  of  four  kept  an  unceasing  guard,  while 
our  revolvers,  day  and  night,  were  rarely  off  our  persons. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SMELTING  ORE  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES 
THE  MINES  ABANDONED 

We  had  now  to  cut  wood  for  charcoal,  and  to  haul  it  in, 
stick  by  stick,  not  having  enough  animals  to  draw  the 
six-horse  wagons.  This  and  burning  the  charcoal  kept 
us  nearly  three  weeks  before  we  could  begin  to  smelt. 
Our  furnaces  stood  in  the  open  air  about  one  hundred 
yards  from  the  main  house,  and  on  a  tongue  of  land  at 
the  junction  of  two  ravines.  The  brilliant  light  illum- 
inating every  object  near  the  furnace  exposed  the  work- 
men every  night,  and  all  night,  to  the  aim  of  the  Apaches. 
The  whole  Mexican  force  slept  on  their  arms  around 
the  furnace,  taking  turns  at  working,  sleeping,  and  pa- 
trolling, receiving  rations  of  whiskey  which  were  be- 
lieved sufficient  to  increase  their  courage  without  making 
them  drunk.  In  order  to  obtain  timely  notice  of  the 
approach  of  the  Indians,  we  picketed  our  watch-dogs  at 
points  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  works;  and  these 
faithful  guards,  which  the  enemy  never  succeeded  in 
killing,  probably  more  than  once  saved  us  from  a  general 
massacre. 

During  the  long  weeks  we  were  isolated  only  rare  word 
came  from  Tubac,  and  none  from  the  East.  One  day 
there  came  a  letter  from  Fort  Buchanan  containing  news 
which  showed  how  completely  we  were  shut  off  from 
the  world. 

After  repeated  destructions  of  stations  along  the  long 

151 


162  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

route  through  Texas  and  Arizona,  the  Indians  had  caused 
the  abandonment  of  the  Overland  Mail,  by  destroying 
the  stations  and  the  superintendent.  The  end  was  tragic. 
The  superintendent  was  making  the  last  trip  to  close  up 
the  route.  He  had  with  him  a  guard  of  fifteen  mounted 
Texas  rangers.  The  coach  carried,  I  think,  $20,000  in 
gold,  and  was  filled  with  passengers.  At  Steen's  Pass 
they  were  attacked  by  a  large  band  of  Apaches.  Not  a 
soul  escaped.  When  the  spot  was  visited  later,  by  a 
military  party,  it  was  seen  that  the  whites  must  have  held 
out  long;  lying  flat  behind  stones  and  firing  at  the  In- 
dians, who  used  the  same  tactics,  as  was  shown  by  the 
lead-battered  stones. 

More  than  one  attempt  was  made  by  the  Apaches  to 
attack  us,  being  always  discovered  in  time,  and  failing 
to  surprise  us,  they  contented  themselves  with  firing  into 
the  force  at  the  furnace  from  a  distance.  In  the  condi- 
tion to  which  we  all,  and  especially  I,  had  been  brought 
by  weeks  of  sleepless  anxiety,  nothing  could  sound  more 
awful  than  the  sudden  discharge  of  a  volley  of  rifles, 
accompanied  by  unearthly  yells,  that  at  times  broke  in 
upon  the  silence  of  the  night. 

The  troops  were  still  at  the  fort  twenty  miles  away. 
The  commandant  made  no  move  to  protect  the  few 
Americans  who  were  all  within  twenty  or  thirty  miles  of 
his  post. 

As  already  intimated,  we  were  now  four,  Robinson, 
Stickney,  the  German  cook,  and  I.  While  one  stood 
guard  at  night,  the  others  slept  in  their  clothes.  The  first 
of  those  nights  was  one  of  those  critical  moments  when, 
in  darkness  and  danger,  one  is  face  to  face  with  one's 
inmost  soul.  I  was  sleeping,  dressed  excepting  shoes. 
A  quick  succession  of  shots  and  yells  brought  me  to  my 
feet  and  standing  on  the  cold  earthem  floor.     My  knees 


SMELTING  ORE  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES     153 

were  knocking  together.  Afraid  to  show  myself  in  such 
condition  before  my  men,  I  sat  down  on  my  cot  to  recover 
a  balance,  and  rolled  a  cigarette  and  smoked  a  whiff  or 
two.  The  mental  struggle  was  over ;  it  had  lasted  hardly 
a  minute,  and  I  went  out  to  the  others,  who  never  knew. 

A  young  Mexican  woman  had  told  one  of  us  that  the 
peons  had  planned  to  kill  us  as  soon  as  the  silver  should 
be  refined.  So  I  arranged  to  concentrate  this  work  into 
the  last  two  or  three  days,  and  to  leave  the  mine  as  soon 
as  the  refining  was  finished,  though  it  would  probably 
mean  a  considerable  loss  of  silver. 

Despatching  a  messenger,  who  succeeded  in  reaching 
Tubac,  I  engaged  a  number  of  wagons  and  men,  and  on 
their  arrival  everything  that  could  be  spared  was  loaded 
and  sent  off.  The  train  was  attacked  and  the  mules 
stolen,  but  the  owner  and  men  escaped,  and,  bringing 
fresh  animals,  succeeded  in  carrying  the  property  into 
Tubac. 

At  last  the  result  of  six  weeks'  smelting  lay  before  us 
in  a  pile  of  lead  planchas  containing  the  silver,  and  there 
only  remained  the  separating  of  these  metals  to  be  gone 
through  with.  During  this  process,  which  I  was  obliged 
to  conduct  myself,  and  which  lasted  some  fifty  or  sixty 
hours,  I  scarcely  closed  my  eyes;  and  the  three  other 
Americans,  revolver  or  shotgun  in  hand,  kept  an  un- 
ceasing guard  over  the  Mexicans,  whose  manner  plainly 
showed  their  thoughts.  Before  the  silver  was  cool,  we 
loaded  it.  We  had  the  remaining  property  of  the  com- 
pany, even  to  the  wooden  machine  for  working  the  blast, 
in  the  returned  wagons,  and  were  on  the  way  to  Tubac, 
which  we  reached  the  same  day,  the  15th  of  June.  Here, 
while  the  last  wagon  was  being  unloaded,  a  rifle  was  ac- 
cidentally discharged  and,  the  ball  passing  through  my 
hair  above  the  ear,  deafened  me  for  the  whole  afternoon. 


164  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Thus  ended  my  experience  of  eight  months  of  mining 
operations  in  an  Apache  stronghold.  It  was  none  too 
soon.  Indeed  I  am  the  only  one  of  at  least  five  successive 
managers  of  the  Santa  Rita  who  was  not  killed  by  Mexi- 
cans or  Indians. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

ACROSS  THE  DESERT  TO  PAPAGORIA  AND 
THE  SEQUEL 

When  we  deposited  the  movable  property  of  our  com- 
pany at  Tubac,  we  did  so  under  the  supposition  that 
that  village  would  be  a  point  where,  until  the  fresh  troops 
whose  coming  was  rumored  should  arrive,  a  large  part 
of  the  white  and  Mexican  population  would  concentrate 
for  the  mutual  defense.  As  soon  as  the  contents  of  the 
wagons  were  stored  away,  the  silver  assayed,  and  our 
debts  paid,  I  determined  to  make  a  journey  for  recreation 
into  the  Papagoria  —  the  land  of  the  friendly  Papago 
tribe.  In  company  with  Colonel  C.  I.  Poston  and  Mr. 
J.  Washburn,  I  reached  the  Cerro  Colorado  or  Heintzel- 
man  mine,  then  being  worked  by  the  first-named  gentle- 
man. Here  we  took  a  Mexican  guide,  and  laid  in  our 
provisions,  consisting  of  pinole  —  powdered  parched  corn 
and  sugar  —  and  coffee. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  left  the  mine,  and,  follow- 
ing the  Indian  trail  westward  for  several  miles,  came 
onto  the  great  Baboquiveri  plain.  This  broad  stretch  of 
wild  grassland  being  one  of  the  main  thoroughfares  of 
the  Apaches,  we  were  obliged  to  keep  a  good  lookout  all 
day.  But  notwithstanding  the  great  heat,  and  the  danger 
from  Indians,  the  combined  effect  of  the  grand  scenery 
and  the  prospect  of  reaching  a  country  where  compara- 
tive safety  would  allow  a  few  nights  of  unguarded  sleep 
filled  me  with  new  life,  and  I  gave  myself  up  again  to  the 


156  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

fascinating  influence  of  Nature  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Taking  a  diagonal  course  over  the  plain,  we  reached 
the  foothills  of  the  Baboquiveri  range  at  the  approach 
to  Aliza  Pass.  It  was  late  at  night  before  we  had  wound 
through  the  rocky  defile,  and  by  the  light  of  the  full 
moon  ascended  to  the  spring  near  the  top.  After  water- 
ing the  horses  from  our  hats,  and  drinking  a  supper  of 
pinole  in  water  ourselves,  we  took  turns  at  watching 
and  sleeping. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  reached  the  summit  of  the 
pass.  The  Baboquiveri  range  formed  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  Papagoes  and  Apaches,  two  tribes  differing 
widely  in  appearance,  character,  and  habits,  and  between 
whom  there  has  ever  been  enmity. 

The  Papagoes  carefully  guarded  the  approaches  to 
their  country,  and  these  passes  have  been  the  scenes  of 
many  desperate  battles.  But  the  desert  character  of 
the  Papagoria  is  its  best  defense,  since,  in  view  of  the 
great  scarcity  of  water  over  an  immense  area,  it  would 
be  also  certain  death  to  a  party  of  Apaches  to  penetrate 
far  into  it.  At  the  summit  of  the  pass  stands  a  large 
pile  of  stones  literally  bristling  with  arrows,  both  old 
and  new.  Whether  this  was  a  landmark  or  battle  monu- 
ment, I  did  not  learn. 

A  ride  of  twenty  miles  over  a  gravelly  plain,  which 
reflected  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun,  brought  us  to  Ca- 
huabi,  a  Papago  village  on  the  skirt  of  the  desert. 

Most  of  the  Papago  villages  on  the  desert  were  several 
miles  from  any  water,  and  one  of  the  chief  occupations 
of  the  women  was  the  obtaining  of  it,  and  bringing  it 
home.  I  say  obtaining,  for  getting  water  there  was 
often  a  labor  of  patience,  skill,  and  danger.  In  many 
places  it  was  to  be  had  only  by  digging.  A  spot  was 
chosen  where  the  rock  dips  under  a  deposit  of  sand,  and 


ACROSS  THE  DESERT  TO  PAPAGORIA     157 

an  opening  like  a  quarry  was  sunk  in  the  latter,  exposing 
the  rocky  surface.  The  little  water  that  trickles  slowly, 
drop  by  drop,  along  the  plane  of  contact  between  sand 
and  stone,  was  collected  with  the  greatest  care  till  the 
labor  was  rewarded  by  a  few  quarts  in  the  earthern  vessel 
which  the  woman  then  bore  off  on  her  head,  perhaps  six 
or  nine  miles. 

After  an  excursion  into  the  desert  to  visit  a  mine  being 
opened  by  some  Mexicans,  we  began  our  homeward  jour- 
ney, intending  to  reach  Arivacca  by  a  trail  crossing  the 
mountains  south  of  the  Baboquiveri  peak.  We  encamped 
for  the  night  near  the  western  foothills  of  the  range,  and 
from  our  elevated  position  the  vast  plains,  stretching 
away  toward  the  Pacific,  were  spread  out  before  us.  To 
this  grand  landscape  the  brilliant  light  of  the  full  moon 
lent  enchantment,  rendering  more  weird  the  unfamiliar 
plant  forms,  silvering  the  distant  ridges  of  barren  granite 
and  the  surface  of  the  boundless  desert.  Not  a  sound, 
not  even  a  breath  of  air,  broke  the  silence  of  the  night. 

Soon  there  came  the  doleful  bark  of  the  red  wolf,  grow- 
ing louder  and  nearer  as  the  animals  approached  and 
hovered  about  the  camp. 

In  the  morning  I  found  that  the  rawhide  thongs  had 
been  gnawed  off  my  saddle,  although  it  had  served  me 
for  a  pillow  all  night. 

Before  noon  we  reached  Fresnal,  a  Papago  village. 
Near  this  we  encamped  by  a  spring  of  good  water,  sur- 
rounded by  fine  ash  and  mesquit  trees,  and  lying  in  a 
ravine  descending  from  the  Baboquiveri  peak.  Our  in- 
tention was  to  leave  Fresnal  the  next  morning,  but  an 
accident  occurred  by  which  all  our  plans  were  changed. 
While  we  were  eating  our  pinole,  a  sandstorm  was  seen 
whirling  rapidly  toward  us  from  the  desert,  and  we  all 
hastened  to  wrap  our  firearms  in  the  blankets,  to  protect 


158  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

them  from  the  penetrating  dust.  In  doing  this  Wash- 
bum  let  his  revolver  fall.  It  went  off  and  drove  a  ball 
into  the  inner  side  of  his  right  thigh.  An  examination 
showed  that  the  ball  had  not  come  out,  and  it  seemed 
almost  certain  that  it  had  entered  the  abdomen,  and  that 
death  must  soon  follow.  A  hasty  consultation  resulted 
in  sending  a  Papago  on  Washburn's  horse  to  Tucson, 
about  sixty  miles  distant,  for  a  doctor,  while  Colonel 
Poston,  with  the  guide,  started  by  the  trail  over  the 
mountain  to  bring  an  ambulance  from  Arivacca,  about 
forty  miles  off,  and  I  remained  to  nurse  our  wounded 
companion.  Washburn  complained  of  pain  in  his  back 
between  the  shoulders  and  along  the  spine.  An  exam- 
ination showed  something  hard,  below  the  neck,  which 
might  be  the  ball.  Being  entirely  ignorant  of  everything 
relating  to  surgery,  I  did  not  venture  to  cut  it  out,  but 
decided  to  wait  for  the  doctor,  in  the  meantime  keeping 
the  wound  constantly  washed.  After  an  absence  of  less 
than  two  days  and  a  half,  the  Papago  returned,  having 
nearly  killed  the  fine  horse  he  rode,  and  bringing  a  letter, 
in  which  the  doctor  regretted  the  impossibility  of  under- 
taking a  journey  in  the  existing  condition  of  the  country. 
He  sent  some  medicines  but  forgot  to  give  directions. 
Among  the  things  was  some  gum  camphor.  This  I 
rubbed  up  in  water  and  with  it  washed  his  wound. 

The  days  passed  without  bringing  any  news  from 
Colonel  Poston,  and,  concluding  that  another  friend  had 
swelled  the  long  list  of  victims  to  the  Apaches,  I  awaited 
the  time  when  I  should  either  help  my  companion  into  his 
saddle  or  dig  his  grave.  Recovery  seemed  almost  im- 
possible, with  the  thermometer  ranging  from  ii6°  to 
126°  F.  in  the  shade,  and  when  night  brought  only  a 
parching  desert  wind. 

Day  after  day  passed  without  bringing  any  change  in 


ACROSS  THE  DESERT  TO  PAPAGORIA     159 

our  prospects,  or  in  the  condition  of  the  wounded  man. 
The  Papagos  of  the  neighboring  village,  from  whom  I 
bought  milk  and  boiled  wheat,  were  at  first  friendly. 
Their  frequent  visits  to  our  camp  relieved  the  tedious 
monotony  of  the  long  days,  and  I  occupied  my  time  in 
learning  their  language.  But  gradually  these  visits  to 
our  camp  became  rarer,  and  finally  ceased  altogether. 
The  old  chief  raised  the  price  of  milk  from  one  string 
of  beads  per  quart  to  two  strings,  and  the  smallness  of 
my  supply  of  this  currency  rendering  it  necessary  to  raise 
their  value  in  the  same  proportion,  our  relations  became 
daily  less  and  less  friendly.  Our  isolated  position  thus 
grew  every  day  more  unpleasant,  surrounded  as  we  were 
by  Indians  who  were  nominally  friendly,  but  who  had 
murdered  more  than  one  helpless  traveler. 

Many  days  had  passed  since  the  accident  when  )a 
Mexican  arrived  from  Colonel  Poston  bringing  pro- 
visions and  a  letter.  He  had  been  unable  to  secure  an 
ambulance  to  send  for  Mr.  Washburn  and  suggested 
that  I  have  the  wounded  man  brought  in  on  a  litter  by 
Papagoes  or  mules. 

I  immediately  made  the  proposition  to  the  chief,  be- 
ginning by  offering  a  horse,  and  ending  with  the  offer  of 
horses  and  arms.  It  was  useless.  The  old  man  was 
tempted;  but  most  of  the  warriors  being  away  for  the 
summer,  he  would  not  venture  to  expose  the  village  to 
a  raid  from  the  Apaches  by  sending  the  young  men 
with  us. 

The  Mexican  left  the  welcome  provisions  and  returned 
to  Arivacca,  with  a  note  saying  that  I  might  try  to  get  to 
Haric  when  Washburn  should  be  able  to  travel  or  should 
have  died.  Again  the  same  tedious  routine  of  watching 
and  waiting  was  resumed.  Nearly  all  my  time  during 
the  day,  and  much  of  the  night,  was  occupied  in  keeping 


160  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

camphorated  water  on  Washburn's  wound.  By  this 
means,  together  with  the  dryness  of  the  cHmate,  it  was 
kept  free  from  gangrene,  and  the  condition  of  my  pa- 
tient was  apparently  improving. 

One  day  the  unexpected  but  welcome  sound  of  a  creak- 
ing wheel  was  followed  by  the  appearance  of  a  wagon 
drawn  by  mules,  and  escorted  by  eleven  Mexicans.  It 
was  a  party  that  had  gone  from  Sonora,  over  the  desert, 
to  open  a  mine,  and  was  now  returning  with  a  load  of 
ore.  The  scarcity  of  water  on  the  desert  had  caused 
them  to  take  the  route  along  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 
and,  fortunately  for  us,  the  first  wagon  that  had  ever 
passed  this  way  came  in  time  to  give  us  relief.  A  bar- 
gain was  immediately  made  —  the  Mexicans,  who  were 
on  foot,  agreeing  to  take  Washburn  to  Saric,  in  Sonora, 
for  five  dollars.  Making  as  comfortable  a  bed  for  the 
wounded  man  as  was  possible,  over  the  rough  load  of  ore, 
we  began  this  new  stage  of  our  journey. 

The  mules  made  slow  progress,  rarely  over  ten  or 
twelve  miles  a  day,  and  now  and  then  losing  a  day  alto- 
gether ;  still  it  was  a  great  relief  to  be  again  on  horseback. 
At  Poso- Verde  we  reached  the  border  of  the  Papagoria. 
Here  the  Indians  had  taken  advantage  of  the  existence  of 
a  spring  and  abundant  grass.  The  spring  was  a  small 
pool,  in  which  stood,  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  all  the 
cattle  that  could  find  room,  and  in  it  the  Indians  bathed 
every  morning.  Already  from  a  distance  we  smelt  the 
water,  and  when  we  reached  it,  it  seemed  more  like  a 
l)arnyard  pool  than  a  reservoir  of  drinkable  water.  Still 
we  were  forced  to  use  it  there,  and  to  lay  in  a  supply. 

Leaving  Poso-Verde  we  turned  from  the  mountains 
onto  a  broad  plain,  bearing  scarcely  any  other  vegetation 
than  scattered  tufts  of  grass.  As  we  were  now  ex- 
posed to  the  Apaches,  we  were  obliged  to  keep  a  constant 


ACROSS  THE  DESERT  TO  PAPAGORIA     IGl 

lookout.  The  Mexicans  had  no  ammunition,  and  ours 
was  useless  to  them.  In  two  or  three  days  it  was  sud- 
denly discovered  that  we  were  out  of  provisions  and  to- 
bacco. A  Mexican  was  sent  ahead  on  our  extra  horse  to 
get  supplies  at  the  nearest  village  in  Sonora,  and  it  was 
hoped  he  might  meet  us  on  the  second  or  third  day,  at 
least  in  time  to  prevent  any  deaths  from  starvation. 

But  when  the  third  day  passed  without  his  return,  it 
was  evident  that  hunger  was  telling  fearfully  on  us.  The 
Mexicans  became,  all  of  them,  more  or  less  deranged,  as 
much  from  want  of  tobacco  as  from  hunger.  For- 
tunately there  was  a  kind  of  cactus  from  which  we  could 
get  a  thirst-satisfying  liquid  and  this  removed  the  worst 
of  dangers.  We  could  make  but  little  progress,  as  our 
companions  wandered  away  from  our  course,  and  my 
time  was  divided  between  guiding  the  mules  and  keeping 
the  men  near  the  wagon.  I  was  entirely  ignorant  of 
the  route,  and,  not  being  able  to  rely  on  the  random  talk 
of  the  crazy  guides,  could  only  keep  a  southerly  course, 
and  trust  to  accident  for  finding  water. 

The  Mexicans  tore  open  my  saddle-bags  in  search  of 
tobacco,  an  action  I  had  neither  the  strength  nor  the 
heart  to  resist.  I  began  to  feel  that  my  own  reason  was 
leaving  me. 

Fortunately,  before  night  overtook  us  we  reached  a 
low  range  of  hills,  and  my  heart  beat  fast  as  I  saw  a 
number  of  petaihya  cacti  growing  from  the  rocks.  It 
was  the  season  for  their  fruit,  and  enough  of  it  was 
found  to  supply  a  scanty  meal  all  around. 

The  next  day,  fearing  to  go  on,  we  remained  quiet, 
and  I  stood  guard  till  the  following  morning,  to  prevent 
the  starving  men  from  killing  one  of  the  mules,  knowing 
well  that  it  must  inevitably  cause  the  death  of  Washburn. 
Toward  noon  of  the  fifth  day  a  horseman  was  seen  com- 


162  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

ing  from  the  north,  who  proved  to  be  our  Mexican  bring- 
ing provisions.  He  had  passed  us  in  the  night,  and  had 
gone  a  long  day's  journey  beyond  us,  before  cutting  our 
trail.  Our  deliverer  was  torn  from  his  horse  by  the  men, 
in  their  impatience  to  get  at  the  supplies,  but,  before  tak- 
ing a  mouthful  of  food,  we  all  quickly  rolled  cigarettes, 
and  each  inhaled  one  long  draught,  and  then  fell  to  eat- 
ing. Fortunately,  the  man  had  been  wise  enough  to 
hide  most  of  his  load,  to  prevent  the  effects  of  overeat- 
ing in  our  condition.  By  the  next  morning  we  were 
nearly  recovered  from  the  effects  of  starvation,  as  was 
shown  by  the  returned  sanity  and  straightened  forms 
of  all. 

Two  or  three  days  more  brought  us  to  Saric,  where 
the  sympathies  of  the  entire  female  population  were  im- 
mediately enlisted  in  behalf  of  Washburn,  and  we  were 
soon  furnished  with  as  comfortable  quarters  as  the  poor 
frontier  village  could  supply.  This  was  not  much,  how- 
ever, consisting  of  a  room,  in  which  we  spread  our  blan- 
kets on  some  fresh  cornstalks. 

Here  I  foimd  awaiting  me  the  following  letter  from 
Poston : 

Arivacca,  2^  June,  1861. 
My  dear  Sir: 

I  avail  myself  of  a  passenger  to  send  you  some  late  news- 
papers. 

The  Civil  War  in  the  States  seems  to  have  begun  in  earnest 
and  we  may  hear  of  an  important  battle  at  Harpers  Ferry  or 
Washington  by  the  next  mail. 

I  have  advices  from  Col.  Colt  that  an  agent  will  be  here 
to  relieve  me  in  all  the  present  month  and  I  now  look  for 
him  daily. 

The  Apaches  have  made  two  attacks  at  Fort  Buchanan, 
each  time  carrying  off  the  stock  and  killing  two  soldiers. 

Bill  Ake  shot  a  neighbor  on  the  Sonoita  named  Davis  the 


ACROSS  THE  DESERT  TO  PAPAGORIA      163 

other  day  and  some  thirty  regulators  are  after  him  sworn  to 
take  him  dead  or  alive. 

No  other  news  of  consequence. 
The  messenger  waits. 
Come  up  soon. 

Yours  truly, 

Charles  D.  Poston. 

The  Apaches  had  made  a  raid  on  the  place  that  day, 
and  the  village  was  in  a  state  of  excitement.  An  old 
Spaniard  was  found  whom  we  both  knew,  and  who,  hav- 
ing some  knowledge  of  surgery,  proceeded  to  cut  out  the 
ball. 

This  was  done  successfully,  the  lead  coming  out  in 
two  pieces.  The  pure  air  of  the  desert,  and  careful 
treatment  and  constant  nursing  on  the  part  of  the  kind- 
hearted  Mexican  women,  finished  the  cure,  and  Wash- 
burn in  less  than  two  weeks  was  on  the  road  to  certain 
recovery,  and  I  prepared  to  leave  him,  to  return  to  Ari- 
zona. When  on  the  point  of  starting  I  was  seized  with 
chills  and  fever,  and  for  a  week  was  the  patient,  in  turn, 
of  every  woman,  young  and  old,  in  the  village.  But  kind 
nursing,  aided  by  emetics  and  warm  water  by  the  pailful, 
and  a  very  bitter  bark  —  probably  calisaya  —  restored 
me,  and,  leaving  a  country  where  the  men  were  mostly 
cut-throats  and  the  women  angels,  I  rode  toward  Arizona. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
CLOSING  SCENES  AND  ESCAPE 

At  Arivacca  I  found  Colonel  Poston  impatiently 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  agent  of  Colonel  Colt,  to  whom 
he  had  transferred  the  lease  of  the  Heintzelman  mine. 
Being  both  of  us  anxious  to  leave  the  country,  we  de- 
termined on  a  journey  together  through  the  principal 
mining  districts,  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  thence  to 
Acapulco  or  Vera  Cruz.  Before  beginning  this  we  vis- 
ited Tubac,  where  we  found  the  population  considerably 
increased  by  Americans  who  had  been  driven  in  by  the 
Apaches  from  the  ranches  of  the  Santa  Cruz  valley. 

In  three  days  we  were  ready  to  return  to  the  Heintzel- 
man mine,  and  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  was  fixed 
for  our  final  departure  from  Tubac.  But  something  oc- 
curred in  the  evening  which  interfered  with  our  plans. 
Just  before  dark  a  Mexican  herdsman  galloped  into  the 
plasa,  and  soon  threw  the  whole  community  into  a  state 
of  intense  excitement.  He  had  gone  that  morning  with 
William  Rhodes,  an  American  ranchero,  to  Rhodes's 
farm,  to  bring  in  some  horses  which  had  been  left  on  the 
abandoned  place.  The  farm  lay  about  eighteen  miles 
from  Tubac,  on  the  road  to  Tucson,  and  to  reach  it  they 
passed  first  through  the  Reventon,  a  fortified  ranch  ten 
miles  distant,  and  then  through  the  Canoa,  an  abandoned 
stockade  station  of  the  Overland  Mail,  fourteen  miles 
from  Tubac.  At  this  place  they  found  two  Americans 
cooking  dinner ;  and  telling  them  they  would  return  in  an 

164 


CLOSING  SCENES  AND  ESCAPE        165 

hour  to  dine,  they  rode  on.  Having  found  the  horses, 
they  returned,  and,  before  riding  up  to  the  house,  secured 
the  loose  animals  in  the  corral,  and  then  turned  toward 
the  stockade.  Their  attention  was  at  once  drawn  to  a 
garment  drenched  in  blood  hanging  on  the  gate,  and  as 
they  approached  this  a  scene  of  destruction  confronted 
them.  The  Apaches  had  evidently  been  at  work  during 
the  short  hour  that  had  passed.  Just  as  the  white  men 
were  on  the  point  of  dismounting,  they  discovered  a 
large  party  of  Indians  lying  low  on  their  animals  among 
the  bushes  a  few  hundred  yards  off  the  road.  Instantly 
Rhodes  and  the  Mexican  put  spurs  to  their  horses,  to 
escape  toward  the  Reventon,  the  Apaches  broke  cover, 
and  reached  the  road  about  one  hundred  yards  behind 
the  fugitives. 

There  were  not  less  than  a  hundred  mounted  warriors, 
and  a  large  number  on  foot.  About  a  mile  from  the 
stockade  Rhodes's  horse  seemed  to  be  giving  out,  and  he 
struck  off  from  the  road  toward  the  mountains,  followed 
by  all  the  mounted  Indians.  The  Mexican  had  escaped 
to  the  Reventon,  and  thence  to  Tubac,  but  he  said  that 
Rhodes  must  have  been  killed  soon  after  they  parted 
company. 

It  being  too  late  to  do  anything  by  going  out  that  night, 
we  determined  to  look  up  the  bodies  and  bury  them  the 
following  day.  Early  the  next  morning  I  rode  out  with 
Colonel  Poston  and  three  others  to  visit  the  Canoa. 

When  we  came  to  the  Reventon  a  Mexican  was  opening 
the  gate.  As  I  rode  in  for  information  a  door  opened, 
and  Rhodes,  smoking  a  long  cigar,  sauntered  leisurely 
towards  me,  with  his  left  arm  in  a  sling. 

"  Hello,  Rhodes,"  I  said,  "  weVe  come  to  bury  you." 

"  Well,  you've  come  too  soon,"  he  answered,  laughing. 

He  corroborated  the  story  of  the  Mexican,  and  told 


166  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

how  he  managed  his  remarkable  escape.  Finding  his 
horse  failing,  and  having  an  arrow  through  his  left  arm, 
he  left  the  road,  hoping  to  reach  a  thicket  he  remembered 
having  seen.  He  had  about  two  hundred  yards'  advan- 
tage over  the  nearest  Indians,  and  as  he  passed  the  thicket 
he  threw  himself  from  the  horse,  which  ran  on  while  he 
entered  the  bush.  The  thicket  was  dense,  with  a  very 
narrow  entrance  leading  to  a  small  charco  or  dry  mud- 
hole  in  the  center.  Lying  down  in  this  he  spread  his 
revolver,  cartridges  and  caps  before  him,  broke  off  and 
drew  out  the  arrow,  and  feeling  the  loss  of  blood,  buried 
his  wounded  elbow  in  the  earth.  All  this  was  the  work 
of  a  minute,  and  before  he  had  finished  it  the  Indians 
had  formed  a  cordon  around  his  hiding  place,  and  found 
the  entrance.  The  steady  aim  of  the  old  frontiersman 
brought  down  the  first  Apache  who  rushed  into  the  nar- 
row opening.  Each  succeeding  brave  as  he  tried  the  en- 
trance met  the  same  fate,  till  six  shots  had  been  fired  from 
Rhodes's  revolver,  and  then  the  Indians,  believing  the 
weapon  empty,  charged  bodily  with  a  loud  yell.  But  the 
cool  ranger  had  loaded  after  each  shot,  and  a  seventh 
ball  brought  down  the  foremost  of  the  attacking  party. 
Rhodes  dropped  thirteen  Indians.  During  all  this  time 
the  enemy  fired  volley  after  volley  of  balls  and  arrows 
into  the  thicket.  Then  the  Indians,  who  knew  Rhodes 
well  by  name,  and  from  many  former  fights,  called  out 
in  Spanish:  "Don  Giiigelmo!  Don  Guigelmo!  Come 
out  and  join  us.  You're  a  brave  man,  and  well  make  you 
a  chief,"  "  Oh,  you  — ,  you !  I  know  what  you'll  do 
with  me  if  you  get  me,"  he  answered.  After  this  Rhodes 
heard  a  loud  shout :  "  Sopori !  Sopori !  " —  the  name  of 
the  ranch  of  a  neighboring  mine  —  and  the  whole  attack- 
ing party  galloped  away. 
Leaving  the  Reventon,  we  rode  toward  the  Canoa,    As 


f  :|i  •    ■,'•■  41  .  I'M. 


167 


168  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

we  neared  it  the  tracks  of  a  large  drove  of  horses  and 
cattle,  and  of  many  Indians,  crossed  the  road.  Soon  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  station,  and  two  dogs  came  running 
toward  us.  With  low,  incessant  whining  they  repeatedly 
came  up  to  us,  and  then  turned  toward  the  entrance,  as 
if  beseeching  our  attention  to  something  there.  When  we 
entered  the  gate  a  scene  of  destruction  indeed  met  us. 
The  sides  of  the  house  were  broken  in,  and  the  court  was 
filled  with  broken  tables  and  doors,  while  fragments  of 
crockery  and  ironware  lay  mixed  in  heaps  with  grain  and 
the  contents  of  mattresses.  Through  the  open  door  of 
a  small  house,  on  one  side  of  the  court,  we  saw  a  naked 
body,  which  proved  to  be  the  remains  of  young  Tarbox, 
who  had  come  from  Maine  a  short  time  before.  As  in 
the  case  of  many  of  the  settlers,  the  first  Apaches  he  had 
seen  were  his  murderers.  Under  a  tree,  beyond  a  fence 
that  divided  the  court,  we  found  the  bodies  of  the  other 
American  and  a  Papago  Indian,  who,  probably  driven  in 
by  the  Apaches,  had  joined  in  the  desperate  struggle  that 
had  evidently  taken  place.  These  bodies  were  pierced 
by  hundreds  of  lance  wounds. 

Our  small  party  of  five  took  turns  in  keeping  watch 
and  digging  the  graves.  Burying  in  one  grave  the  two 
who  had  fought  together,  we  wrote  on  a  board :  **  White 
man,  unknown,  and  a  Papago  killed  by  Apaches."  Over 
the  other  grave  we  wrote :     "  Tarbox." 

We  had  just  finished  the  burial  when  a  party  of  Ameri- 
cans, escorting  two  wagons,  rode  in  sight.  They  were  on 
their  way  to  Fort  Buchanan,  where  they  hoped  to  discover 
the  caches  in  which  commissary  stores  had  been  hidden 
on  the  abandonment  of  the  country.  Happening  to  ask 
them  whether  Mr.  Richmond  Jones,  superintendent  of  the 
Sopori  Company's  property,  was  still  in  Tucson,  I  was 


CLOSING  SCENES  AND  ESCAPE        169 

told  that  he  had  left  that  town  for  the  Sopori  early  on 
the  previous  day. 

It  seemed  that  Jones  might  have  reached  the  Canoa  in 
time  to  be  in  danger  from  the  Indians,  so  we  began  a 
search  for  his  body  in  the  neighborhood,  and  before  long 
a  call  from  one  of  our  number  brought  us  to  the  spot 
where  it  lay.  A  bullet  entering  the  breast,  two  large 
lances  piercing  the  body  from  side  to  side,  and  a  pitch- 
fork driven  as  far  as  the  very  forking  of  the  prongs  into 
the  back,  told  the  manner  of  his  death.  Wrapping  the 
body  in  a  blanket,  we  laid  it  in  one  of  the  wagons  and 
turned  toward  Tubac.  Finding  the  spot  where  Rhodes 
had  left  the  road  in  his  flight  from  the  Indians,  Poston 
and  I  followed  the  tracks  till  we  reached  the  scene  of  his 
desperate  fight.  The  place  was  exactly  as  Rhodes  had 
described  it,  and  the  charco  was  covered  with  branches 
cut  loose  by  the  Apache  bullets,  while  the  ground  at  the 
entrance  was  still  soaked  with  blood. 

At  Tubac  we  buried  Jones.  His  home  had  been  in 
Providence,  R.  I.  Like  Grosvenor,  a  true  friend  of  the 
Indians,  he  fell  by  them  a  victim  to  vengeance  for  the 
treachery  of  the  white  man.  The  cry  of  Sopori,  raised 
when  the  Indians  left  Rhodes,  was  now  explained.  They 
knew  that  in  Jones  they  had  killed  the  superintendent  of 
that  ranch,  and  they  were  impatient  to  reach  the  place  and 
drive  off  its  large  drove  of  horses  and  cattle  before  the 
arrival  of  any  force  large  enough  to  resist  them.  This 
they  effected  by  killing  the  herdsmen. 

The  next  morning,  bidding  good-by  to  Tubac,  Poston 
arid  I  returned  to  the  Heintzelman  mine.  I  was  to  pass  a 
week  there,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  and  reporting 
on  the  property ;  but  hearing  that  a  wagonload  of  water- 
melons had  arrived  at  Arivacca,  and  having  lived  on  only 


170  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

jerked  beef  and  beans  for  nearly  a  year,  I  determined  to 
go  on  with  Poston  and  pass  a  day  at  the  reduction  works. 
It  was  arranged  that  two  of  the  Americans  should  come 
from  Arivacca  the  next  morning  for  letters.  But  the 
letters  not  being  ready,  their  departure  was  postponed 
till  the  following  morning.  About  an  hour  and  a  half 
after  these  two  men  had  left  Arivacca  they  galloped  back, 
showing  in  their  faces  that  something  awful  had  hap- 
pened. 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  asked  Poston. 

"  There  has  been  an  accident  at  the  mine,  sir." 

**  Nothing  serious,  I  hope  ?  " 

"Well!    Yes,  it's  very  serious." 

'•  Is  any  one  injured  —  is  my  brother  hurt?  " 

"  Yes,  they're  all  hurt ;  and  I  am  afraid  your  brother 
won't  recover." 

My  friend  dared  to  put  no  more  questions.  The  men 
told  me  the  whole  story  in  two  words  — '*  all  killed." 

Mounting  my  horse,  which  had  already  been  saddled 
to  carry  me  to  the  mine,  I  returned  quickly  with  the  two 
men.  We  found  the  bodies  of  Mr.  John  Poston  and  the 
two  German  employees,  while  the  absence  of  the  Mexicans 
showed  plainly  who  were  the  murderers.  I  heard  the 
history  of  the  affair  afterward  in  Sonora.  A  party  of 
seven  Mexicans  had  come  from  Sonora  for  the  purpose 
of  inciting  the  peons  at  Arivacca  and  the  mine  to  kill  the 
Americans  and  rob  the  two  places.  They  reached 
Arivacca  the  same  day  that  Poston  and  I  arrived,  and, 
finding  the  white  force  there  too  strong,  had  gone  on  to 
the  mine.  Here  they  found  no  difficulty  in  gaining  over 
the  entire  Mexican  force,  including  a  favorite  servant 
of  Mr.  Poston.  This  boy,  acting  as  a  spy,  gave  notice 
to  the  Mexicans  when  the  white  men  were  taking  their 
siestas.    Without  giving  their  victims  a  chance  to  resist 


CLOSING  SCENES  AND  ESCAPE        171 

they  murdered  them  in  cold  blood,  robbed  the  place,  and 
left  for  Sonora. 

They  had  stabbed  Poston's  brother  and  one  of  the  Ger- 
mans as  they  were  sleeping  in  different  rooms. 

The  other  German,  who  had  been  our  cook  at  the  Santa 
Rita,  and  had  stood  bravely  by  us  to  the  end,  lay  rolled 
up  in  blankets  for  protection  from  bullets  fired  through 
the  window. 

Laying  the  bodies  in  a  wagon  just  arrived  from 
Arivacca,  we  returned  to  that  place.  I  found  that  during 
my  absence  the  peons  had  attempted  the  same  thing  at 
the  reduction  works,  but  being  detected  in  time  by  the 
negro  cook  they  were  put  down.  That  evening  we  had 
another  burial,  the  saddest  of  all,  for  we  committed  to  the 
earth  of  that  accursed  country  the  remains  not  only  of  a 
friend  but  of  the  brother  of  one  of  our  party. 

I  will  add  here  that  the  accident  which  so  nearly  proved 
fatal  to  Washburn  on  the  desert  in  all  probability  saved 
his  life,  since  by  delaying  his  return  to  the  Heintzelman 
mine,  where  he  made  his  home,  it  saved  him  from  the 
general  assassination. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
PURSUED  BY  DESPERADOES 

After  the  tragic  event  related  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
Colonel  Poston  and  I  abandoned  our  proposed  journey, 
and  determined  to  leave  the  country  by  the  nearest  open 
route.  The  events  of  the  past  week,  added  to  all  that 
had  gone  before,  began  to  tell  on  my  nerves,  and  I  felt 
unequal  to  the  task  of  making  a  dangerous  summer 
journey  of  over  one  thousand  miles  through  Mexico. 

I  was  repeatedly  urged  by  the  officers  at  Fort  Buchanan 
to  go  East  with  the  regiment  as  the  only  way  of  escaping. 

However,  the  arrival  of  a  Spaniard  whom  we  knew 
well  decided  our  route.  He  brought  the  news  that  a 
vessel  was  to  arrive  at  Lobos  Bay,  on  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia, to  take  in  a  cargo  of  copper  ore.  So  we  deter- 
mined to  leave  with  him  for  Caborca,  on  our  way  to 
Lobos  Bay.  Indeed,  the  only  route  open  to  us  lay  through 
Sonora,  as  it  was  out  of  the  question  for  two  men  to  think 
of  taking  the  ordinary  routes  through  Arizona. 

The  day  after  the  funeral  we  put  our  baggage  into  the 
returning  wagons  of  the  Spaniard,  and  following  these, 
on  horseback,  left  Arivacca.  Our  own  party  consisted 
of  Poston,  myself,  and  the  colored  cook.  Crossing  the 
Baboquiveri  plain  we  passed  around  the  southern  end  of 
the  Baboquiveri  range.  Here  I  entered  again  upon  the 
great  steppe,  which,  stretching  northward  through  the 
Papagoria,  and  southwestward  to  the  Altar  River,  had 
so  lately  been  the  scene  of  our  eventful  journey.  On  the 
skirt  of  this  plain  we  encamped  for  the  night. 

172 


PURSUED  BY  DESPERADOES  173 

The  effect  of  the  grand  scenery  and  wonderfully  clear 
atmosphere  of  this  strange  land  is  to  intensify  the  feel- 
ings of  pain  or  pleasure  which  at  the  time  sway  the 
traveler's  mind.  Thus,  while  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances the  surroundings  of  this  our  first  encampment 
would  have  been  engraved  on  the  memory  with  all  the 
shading  and  coloring  of  a  sublime  and  beautiful  night 
scene,  the  events  of  the  past  week  formed  a  background 
on  which  the  picture  of  that  night  remains  impressed  with 
all  the  unearthly  gloom  of  an  inferno.  Above  us  the  sky 
was  clear.  Then  a  densely  black  cloud  hid  the  mountain 
and  a  storm  burst.  The  heavens  resounded  with  the 
crash  of  thunder.  Forked  columns  of  lightning  pierced 
the  darkness  revealing  the  weird  rock  forms  and  frown- 
ing cliffs  of  the  Arizona  Mountains.  Then  all  changed 
quickly ;  the  clouds  vanished  and  again  the  stars  shone  in 
the  silent  night.  I  felt  that  I  had  left  the  gate  of  hell, 
that  in  that  half -hour,  in  that  cloud,  there  had  been  at 
work  all  the  evil  spirits  that  had  controlled  the  minds  of 
men  in  the  land  I  was  leaving. 

Our  route  lay  for  two  or  three  days,  as  far  as  the  Altar 
River,  over  hard  gravelly  plains,  generally  bearing  grass 
and  scattered  mesquite  trees  and  cacti.  The  Altar  River 
was  a  mere  rivulet  at  nearly  all  seasons,  but  along  its 
course  were  many  places  which  might  become  flourishing 
ranches,  were  not  all  attempts  at  industry  rendered  hope- 
less by  the  raids  of  the  Apache.  Following  the  river  we 
reached  Altar,  a  village  built  of  adobes,  containing  a 
population  of  about  1,900  souls,  including  the  ranches  of 
the  immediate  neighborhood.  A  solitary  date  palm  was 
evidence  of  an  attempt  of  the  early  missionaries  to  intro- 
duce fruits  adapted  to  the  climate. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  our  journey  we  reached  Caborca, 
a  village  containing  about  800  inhabitants.     It  was  in  the 


174  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

fine  old  mission  church  at  this  place  that  the  filibustering 
party  under  Crabbe  met  their  fate. 

Here  we  were  welcomed  by  an  acquaintance,  Don 
Marino  Molino,  who  ofifered  us  the  hospitality  of  his 
house.  Much  to  our  disappointment  we  learned  that  the 
coming  of  the  expected  vessel  to  Lobos  Bay  had  been 
postponed  for  several  months,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
choose  another  way  out  of  the  country.  Our  choice  of 
routes  was  limited  to  two:  the  one  leading  to  Guaymas, 
about  200  miles  distant,  and  the  other  to  Fort  Yuma, 
nearly  as  far  to  the  northwest,  on  the  Colorado  River. 

While  we  were  in  Caborca  some  of  the  former  peons 
of  the  Heintzelman  mine,  who  had  been  of  the  assassinat- 
ing party,  were  seen  walking  in  conscious  security 
through  the  streets.  We  heard  that  they  not  only  boasted 
openly  of  their  part  in  the  murder,  but  that  they  had 
formed  a  party  of  twelve  desperadoes  to  follow  and  way- 
lay Poston  and  myself,  for  the  sake  of  the  large  quantity 
of  silver  we  were  supposed  to  have  in  our  baggage.  Our 
friends  warned  us  of  the  danger,  and  advised  us  to  in- 
crease our  force  before  continuing  the  journey.  At  the 
same  time  a  report  was  brought  in  by  a  Mexican  coming 
from  California  that  Fort  Yuma  was  to  have  been  al- 
ready abandoned,  and  that  owing  to  two  successive  rain- 
less seasons  many  of  the  usual  watering  places  on  the 
desert  route  to  the  Colorado  were  dry.  There  was  one 
distance,  he  said,  of  120  miles  without  water,  and  on  this 
some  of  the  party  to  which  he  belonged  had  died  from 
thirst. 

We  decided,  however,  on  this  route,  as,  besides  leading 
directly  to  California,  it  exposed  us  mainly  to  the  dangers 
of  the  desert  and  not  of  Indians.  One  thing  caused  us 
much  uneasiness :  this  was  the  question  as  to  how  we 
should  cross  the  Colorado  River,  supposing  the  fort  were 


PURSUED  BY  DESPERADOES  175 

really  abandoned.  That  river  is  deep  and  broad,  and  the 
current  rapid;  and  the  abandonment  of  the  fort  would, 
considering  the  hostile  character  of  the  Yuma  Indians, 
necessarily  cause  the  abandonment  of  the  ferry  also. 

There  was  in  Caborca  an  American,  named  Williams, 
who  had  been  found  some  weeks  before,  dying  from 
hunger  and  thirst,  on  the  shore  at  Lobos  Bay.  Brought 
into  Caborca,  and  kindly  treated  by  an  old  lady  of  that 
place,  he  had  already  recovered,  and  was  seeking  an  op- 
portunity to  leave  the  country.  According  to  Williams's 
story,  he  had  formed  one  of  a  party  of  three  who  had 
built  a  boat  on  the  Colorado  River,  intending  to  coast 
along  the  Gulf  of  California  to  Cedros  Island,  on  a 
"  prospecting  "  expedition  for  supposed  hidden  treasure. 
Arriving  at  Lobos  Bay,  he  said,  they  had  been  wrecked ; 
but  he  was  unable  to  account  for  the  subsequent  move- 
ments of  his  companions.  We  believed  his  story,  and, 
liking  the  appearance  of  the  man,  engaged  him  to  go  with 
us  to  California,  giving  him  as  compensation  an  outfit 
consisting  of  a  horse,  saddle,  rifle,  and  revolver.  As 
soon  as  we  had  engaged  a  Mexican,  with  several  pack- 
mules,  we  were  ready  for  our  journey.  Our  party  now 
consisted  of  four  well-armed  men,  not  counting  the  Mexi- 
can muleteer. 

Several  friends  escorted  us  as  far  as  our  first  encamp- 
ment, which  we  reached  in  the  night,  and  left  us  the 
following  morning,  but  not  without  repeatedly  warning  us 
to  keep  an  unceasing  watch  for  the  party  that  was  sure 
to  follow  us. 

The  first  inhabited  place  we  passed  was  the  Coyote  gold 
placer,  near  which  are  the  ancient  Sales  and  Tajitos  gold 
and  silver  mines,  and,  in  the  neighboring  Vasura  Moun- 
tains, the  Coyote  copper  mine. 

The  next  settlement  in  which  we  encamped  was  Quit- 


176  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

ovac,  a  place  which  had  some  celebrity  for  its  gold  placers 
before  the  discovery  of  that  metal  in  California.  It  had 
been  our  intention  to  take  the  route  to  the  Colorado  River, 
leading  through  the  Sonoita  gold  district,  in  preference  to 
passing  through  San  Domingo.  These  routes,  diverging 
at  a  point  a  few  miles  beyond  Quitovac,  continue  parallel 
to  each  other,  but  separated  by  mountains,  till  their  re- 
union on  the  Gila  River.  When  asked  at  Quitovac  which 
route  we  proposed  taking,  we  had  given  that  by  Sonoita 
as  our  choice.  But  as  soon  as  we  took  the  road  in  the 
morning  it  became  evident  that  a  party  of  horsemen  had 
passed  through  Quitovac  during  the  night,  stopping  for 
only  a  short  time.  The  tracks  showed  them  to  be  twelve 
in  number,  and  when  on  reaching  the  fork  of  the  trails 
we  found  that,  after  evident  hesitation,  they  had  taken  the 
Sonoita  route,  we  changed  our  plan  and  turned  into  that 
leading  to  San  Domingo,  which  place  we  reached  in  a 
few  hours.  In  this  settlement,  containing  two  or  three 
houses,  the  last  habitations  before  reaching  the  Gila 
River,  we  found  Don  Remigo  Rivera,  a  revolutionary 
Sonoranian  general.  Don  Remigo  had  withdrawn  with 
his  small  force  to  the  United  States  boundary,  where  he 
was  awaiting  a  favorable  oportunity  for  action.  Leaving 
his  men  at  Sonoita,  he  had  come  to  pass  a  few  days  at 
San  Domingo.  As  this  gentleman  had  frequently  been  a 
guest  at  the  Santa  Rita,  and  at  Colonel  Poston's  house, 
we  received  from  him  a  cordial  reception,  and  dismounted 
to  breakfast  on  pinole  and  watermelons.  While  thus  en- 
gaged a  courier  rode  up  at  full  speed,  and  was  closeted 
for  a  few  minutes  with  our  host.  This  man,  Don 
Remigo  informed  us,  brought  news  of  the  arrival,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Sonoita,  of  twelve  men,  whose  names  he 
gave.  It  was  supposed  by  his  friends  that  they  had  come 
to  assassinate  the  general. 


PURSUED  BY  DESPERADOES  177 

"  That  is  not  likely  to  be  their  object,"  said  Don  Remigo, 
"  since  though  they  are  cut-throats,  they  belong  to  my 
party,  and  have  served  under  me.  It  is  more  probable," 
he  continued,  "that  they  are  following  you,  as  I  have 
heard  of  a  plot  to  waylay  you." 

Our  suspicions  of  the  morning  were  thus  confirmed,  and 
the  necessity  of  being  prepared  for  an  attack  became  more 
apparent. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
THROUGH  DESERT  PERH^S 

San  Domingo  lies  on  the  boundary,  and  the  trail  leav- 
ing the  ranch  keeps  for  a  few  miles  south  of  the  line,  and 
then  enters  the  United  States  territory.  To  this  point 
Don  Remigo  accompanied  us,  to  show  us  the  last  water- 
ing place  before  entering  upon  the  desert.  As  we  re- 
turned from  this  spring  to  the  road  two  men  were  seen, 
who,  having  passed  us  unnoticed,  were  traveling  north. 
They  proved  to  be  two  Americans,  on  their  way  to  Fort 
Yuma,  and  they  readily  joined  us.  Our  party  now  num- 
bered six  well-armed  men,  and  we  felt  ourselves  able  to 
cope  with  fifty  Mexicans.  The  size  of  our  force  now 
rendered  it  possible  to  keep  a  watch  without  much  fatigue 
to  any  member  of  the  party ;  but  our  greatest  danger  lay 
in  the  exposure  of  our  animals,  and  consequently  of  our- 
selves, to  death  from  thirst.  Soon  we  would  have  to 
enter  upon  the  broad,  waterless  region,  and  the  bones  of 
animals  already  bordering  our  trail  warned  us  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  past  years. 

One  night,  as  we  were  skirting  the  desert  along  the 
base  of  a  barren  sierra,  Williams  and  I  had  fallen  behind 
the  caravan,  when  my  companion,  from  overuse  of  our 
Spanish  brandy,  began  to  talk  freely  to  himself.  We 
were  just  approaching  a  bold,  high  spur  of  the  sierra, 
while  immediately  before  us  the  trail  wound  between  im- 
mense  fragments   of   rock    fallen   from  the   mountains 

178 


THROUGH  DESERT  PERILS  179 

above.     Williams  stopped  his  horse,  and  looking  at  the 
rocks,  said,  half -aloud: 

"  Here's  where  the  d d  greasers  overtook  us,  and 

we  whipped  them." 

As  the  man  had  said  that  he  had  never  been  over  the 
road  before,  I  thought  it  at  first  only  the  talk  of  a  drunken 
man. 

**  I  thought  you  had  never  been  this  way  before,  Wil- 
liams," I  said  to  him. 

*'  Maybe  I  haven't ;  maybe  I  dreamt  it ;  but  when  you 
get  by  that  spur  you'll  see  two  peaks  on  the  top  of  the 
sierra.     Them's  the  *  two  sisters.'  " 

We  soon  passed  the  point  of  the  spur,  when,  looking 
toward  the  top  of  the  mountain,  I  saw  two  tall  rocks  rising 
from  the  crest.  My  interest  in  this  man  was  now  excited, 
indeed  I  had  already  had  a  suspicion  that  he  was  not 
what  we  had  taken  him  to  be.  Determined  to  learn  more, 
I  passed  him  my  flask.  We  rode  on  together  talking 
about  Sonora,  though  not  very  coherently  on  Williams's 
part.  After  riding  a  few  miles  we  came  near  some 
thickets  of  mesquite  and  palo-verde  trees,  and  I  observed 
that  my  companion  had  become  attentive  to  the  surround- 
ings.    In  answer  to  my  questions  he  replied : 

'*  I'm  looking  for  an  opening  on  the  left  side  of  the 
trail.  There's  a  square  opening  with  a  big  mesquite  at 
each  corner,  and  a  long  branch  goes  from  one  corner 
across  to  the  other.  Under  the  branch  there's  a  mound, 
I  guess." 

He  rode  ahead,  and  soon  turned  out  of  the  trail. 

Following  him,  I  entered  by  a  narrow  path  and  found 
myself  with  him  in  a  square  opening  as  he  described. 
The  clear  moonlight  shone  into  the  spot  and  cast  our 
shadows  over  the  mound. 

"  He's  rotten  now  I  reckon,"  my  companion  muttered. 


180  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

*'  I  told  him  I'd  spit  more  than  once  on  his  grave  and  by 
G  — d  IVedoneit." 

**  What  was  his  name,  Williams  ? "  I  asked,  passing  the 
flask  again. 

"  Charley  Johnson." 

**  What  did  you  kill  the  poor  devil  for,  in  this  out-of- 
the-way  place  ? " 

'*An  old  grudge,  about  a  Mexican  woman,  when  we 
were  with  Fremont.  I  told  him  I'd  spit  on  his  grave,  and 
now  IVe  done  it.  We  had  a  split  here  about  a  scarf  — 
and  I  got  the  scarf,  that's  all." 

•'  Who  kept  the  priest's  robes  ?  "  I  asked,  looking  him 
full  in  the  face. 

At  these  words  Williams  started,  and  made  a  motion 
toward  his  pistol;  but  seeing  that  I  had  the  advantage, 
inasmuch  as  my  hand  rested  on  my  revolver,  he  simply 
exclaimed  : 

"  What  the  hell  do  you  know  about  the  priest's  robes  ?  " 

"  Only  that  you  were  one  of  Bell's  band,"  I  answered 
quietly. 

The  suspicions  I  had  formed  as  soon  as  Williams  had 
betrayed  a  knowledge  of  the  route  were  fully  confirmed. 
Our  quiet-looking  companion  had  been  one  of  the  band 
of  cut-throats  which,  under  the  notorious  Bell,  had  been 
the  terror  of  California  soon  after  the  discovery  of  gold. 
This  party  had  gone  to  Sonora,  about  eight  years  before 
the  time  of  our  journey,  under  the  pretext  of  wishing  to 
buy  horses.  Stopping  at  a  celebrated  gold  placer  near 
Caborca,  they  were  hospitably  entertained  at  the  neigh- 
boring mission  by  the  old  priest  and  his  sister,  who  were 
living  alone.  In  return  for  this  kind  reception  they  had 
hanged  the  priest,  outraged  the  lady,  and  robbed  the  rich 
church  of  several  thousand  dollars  in  gold.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  Caborca  had  told  me  of  this  occurrence,  still 


THROUGH  DESERT  PERILS  181 

fresh  in  their  minds,  and  of  the  bravado  of  the  party  in 
riding  through  Caborca  using  the  priestly  robes  as  saddle 
blankets.  Before  a  sufficiently  strong  party  could  be 
raised  to  follow  them  they  had  escaped  to  the  desert,  and, 
when  finally  overtaken,  were  found  too  strong  for  their 
pursuers,  who  were  driven  back. 

My  experience  on  the  border  with  men  of  the  class  to 
which  Williams  belonged  had  shown  me  that  to  manage 
them,  or,  when  it  became  necessary,  to  associate  with 
them,  one  must  assume,  to  a  certain  extent,  their  tone. 
This  I  had  done  with  my  companion,  and  by  this  means 
and  the  aid  of  the  brandy  flask  I  obtained  his  confidence. 
He  acknowledged  that  he  had  been  one  of  BelFs  men,  and 
had  been  in  the  expedition  into  Sonora.  When  he  was 
recently  brought  into  Caborca  nearly  dead  he  was  taken 
care  of  by  the  sister  of  the  priest  whom  they  had  hanged, 
and  Williams  lived  in  constant  fear  that  the  lady  would 
recognize  him.  Not  only  had  he  escaped  recognition, 
but  he  told  me,  as  an  excellent  joke,  that  the  Seriora  had 
given  him  a  letter  to  give  to  her  two  daughters,  who  were 
living  in  California. 

He  was,  at  the  time  of  our  journey,  a  refugee  from 
California,  having  murdered  a  man  in  San  Francisco. 
The  history  he  gave  me  of  his  hfe  while  with  Bell's  band 
was  a  combination  of  awful  crimes  and  ludicrous  inci- 
dents that  would  swell  a  volume.  I  never  knew  but  one 
ruffian  who  more  surely  deserved  hanging  than  this  com- 
panion whom  we  had  taken  with  us  to  increase  our  safety. 
The  other  man  was  Rogers,  whose  story  I  have  written  in 
previous  pages. 

I  thought  best  to  warn  only  Poston  about  Williams,  but 
when  Williams  stood  guard  at  night  I  slept  lightly.  In- 
deed, the  events  of  the  past  three  months  had  caused  me 
to  awaken  at  the  slightest  sound.     I  lay  always  with  my 


182  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

revolver  in  my  hand.  A  sound  made  me  cock  it  instantly. 
It  happened  once  that  in  awaking  I  realized  that  I  had 
been  sleeping  with  my  finger  on  the  trigger  of  a  cocked 
pistol.  Such  perfect  guard  had  been  kept  -by  the  sub- 
conscious action  of  the  brain. 

In  a  few  days  we  approached  the  worst  part  of  the 
desert;  the  watering  places  became  more  separated  and 
the  supply  smaller.  Our  route  lay  over  broad,  gravelly 
plains,  bearing  only  cacti,  with  here  and  there  the  leaf- 
less palo-verde  trees,  the  horrid  cholla,  and  the  rarely- 
failing  greasewood  bush.  In  the  distance,  on  either  side, 
arose  high  granite  mountains,  to  which  the  eye  turns  in 
vain  for  relief.  They  were  barren  and  dazzling  masses  of 
rock.  Night  brought  only  parching  winds,  while  during 
the  day  we  sought  often  in  vain  for  shelter  from  the  fierce 
sun-rays. 

On  leaving  the  Santa  Rita  mines  I  had  brought  away, 
as  mementos  of  Grosvenor,  the  miner's  compass  and  the 
chemical  thermometer  that  he  had  treasured  in  memory 
of  his  friend,  Bronkow,  murdered  at  the  San  Pedro  mine. 
This  thermometer  was  a  glass  rod  about  one-quarter  of 
an  inch  thick  and  fifteen  inches  long,  having  no  case  nor 
any  kind  of  protection.  I  kept  it  under  my  saddle-pillow 
at  night,  and  carried  it,  by  day,  rolled  up  in  my  blanket 
tied  behind  the  saddle.  Every  night  and  every  morning 
I  was  surprised  to  find  it  whole,  and  it  remained  so  till 
we  reached  San  Francisco,  when  I  had  a  tin  case  made 
for  it.  I  have  it  still  after  carrying  it  through  all  the 
exposures  of  a  very  rough  life  around  the  world,  though 
in  a  tin  tube  after  leaving  San  Francisco. 

This  thermometer  showed  that  the  temperature 
throughout  the  desert  journey  ranged  between  120°  and 
130°  F.  in  the  shade  day  and  night.  The  only  shade  we 
had  by  day  was  when  we  found  wind-hollowed  holes  in 


THROUGH  DESERT  PERILS  183 

the  face  of  a  rock.  So  intense  was  the  heat  that  to  touch 
the  black  barrel  of  a  gun,  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the 
sun,  meant  a  blistered  hand. 

On  these  vast  deserts  the  sluggish  rattlesnake  meets 
the  traveler  at  every  turn.  The  most  powerful  inhabi- 
tant, his  sway  is  undisputed  by  the  scorpions  and  the 
lizards  on  which  he  feeds.  One  night  we  folded  our 
blankets  and  lay  naked  on  them  with  our  saddles  for 
pillows.  Poston  lay  about  two  feet  from  me.  We  were 
talking  when  I  moved  slightly.  A  rattle  sounded  be- 
tween us.  We  rolled  away  in  opposite  directions, 
jumped  to  our  feet,  and  seized  the  still  burning  brands 
from  the  dying  fire  that  had  made  our  coffee. 

A  **  horned  "  rattlesnake  was  just  disappearing  into  a 
hole  under  my  saddle.  We  caught  his  tail  in  time  to 
break  his  back,  which  made  him  harmless. 

The  routes  over  these  wastes  were  in  places  marked  by 
mummified  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep. 

With  a  feeling  of  much  anxiety  we  encamped  on  the 
border  of  a  play  a,  a  depressed  region  covered  with  water 
after  cloudbursts.  We  found  a  surface  of  dried  mud 
crossed  by  ridges  of  shifting  sand.  From  that  camp  on 
there  lay  before  us  a  continuous  ride  of  nearly  thirty 
hours,  before  we  could  hope  to  find  the  nearest  water  on 
the  Gila  River,  and  it  was  not  probable  that  our  animals 
could  bear  up  under  the  fatigue  and  thirst  added  to  that 
they  were  already  suffering  from. 

But  during  the  night  a  dense  cloud  covered  the  neigh- 
boring mountains  and  there  came  a  cloudburst,  the  first 
rain  that  had  fallen  on  this  desert  for  more  than  two 
years.  Never  was  a  storm  more  welcome.  Both  we  and 
our  animals  enjoyed  heartily  the  drenching.  Before  day- 
break the  sky  cleared,  and  with  the  rising  sun  began  the 
heat  of  another  day.    A  broad  sheet  of  water,  only  a  few 


1*84  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

inches  deep,  covered  the  playa  for  miles  before  us,  and 
banished  from  our  minds  all  fear  of  suffering. 

On  the  second  day  after  the  rain  the  water  had  almost 
everywhere  disappeared,  having  been  evaporated  by  the 
heat  and  dryness  of  the  air.  We  were  now  approaching 
the  Tinaja  Alta,  the  only  spot  where,  for  a  distance  of 
nearly  120  miles,  water  might  at  times  be  found. 

It  was  a  brilliantly  moonlit  night.  On  our  left  rose  a 
lofty  sierra,  its  fantastic  sculpturing  weird  even  in  the 
moonlight.  Suddenly  we  saw  strange  forms  indefinable 
in  the  distance.  As  we  came  nearer  our  horses  became 
uneasy,  and  we  saw  before  us  animals  standing  on  each 
side  of,  and  facing,  the  trail.  It  was  a  long  avenue  be- 
tween rows  of  mummified  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep. 

Nothing  could  be  more  weird.  The  pack  animals 
bolted,  and  Poston  and  I  rode  through  with  difficulty. 

Ten  or  twelve  years  before,  during  the  time  when  meat 
was  worth  in  California  almost  its  weight  in  gold  dust,  it 
paid  to  take  the  risk  of  losing  on  this  desert  nearly  all  of 
a  herd  if  a  few  might  survive. 

If  no  water  was  found  at  the  Tinaja  Alta  most  or  all  of 
the  animals  and  some  of  the  men  were  sure  to  die. 

In  the  intensely  dry  and  pure  air  there  was  no  decom- 
position ;  all  the  dead  simply  became  mummies. 

This  weird  avenue  had  been  made  by  some  travelers 
with  a  sense  of  humor,  and  with  a  fertile  imagination 
which  had  not  been  deadened  by  thirst. 

Our  next  camp  was  made  at  the  Tinaja  Alta  or  high 
tanks.  Here,  in  a  steep  ravine  in  the  mountains,  there  is 
a  series  of  five  or  six  large  pot  holes,  one  above  the  other, 
gouged  in  the  granite  bed  of  the  gorge.  This  gorge  was 
apparently  the  outlet  onto  the  desert  of  a  system  of  drain- 
age of  the  sierra.  It  had  been  carved  either  by  erosion 
in  a  long  past  period  of  a  different  climate,  or  by  oc- 


THROUGH  DESERT  PERILS  185 

casional  cloud-bursts  happening  through  scores  of  millen- 
niums. After  a  rain  these  holes  are  all  filled,  but  as  the 
season  advances  the  lower  ones  become  empty,  and  the 
traveler  is  obliged  to  climb  to  the  higher  tanks  and  bail 
water  into  the  one  below  him,  and  from  this  into  the  next, 
and  so  on  until  there  is  enough  in  the  lowest  to  quench  the 
thirst  of  his  animals.  The  higher  tanks  are  accessible 
only  at  risk  of  life.  After  a  succession  of  dry  seasons  it 
sometimes  happened  that  travelers  arrived  here  already 
dying  from  thirst.  Finding  no  water  in  the  lower  holes, 
they  climbed  in  vain  to  the  higher  ones,  where,  perhaps, 
exhausted,  they  fell  from  the  narrow  ledge,  and  the 
tanks,  in  which  they  sought  life  became  their  graves. 

Here  I  found  a  large  pair  of  horns  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain sheep,  or  "  big-horn,"  that  had  doubtless  strayed  too 
far  from  the  usual  watering  place. 

A  forced  ride  of  a  day  from  the  Tinaja  Alta  brought 
us  to  the  Gila  River,  at  one  of  the  stations  of  the  ab- 
andoned overland  stage  route.  Here  a  piece  cut  from  a 
newspaper,  and  fastened  to  the  door  of  the  house,  first 
informed  us  of  the  defeat  of  the  North  at  Bull  Run. 
Almost  the  last  news  we  had  received  before  this  from 
the  East  was  of  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter. 

Our  route  now  lay  along  the  Gila  River.  Stopping 
in  the  afternoon,  we  sought  relief  from  the  heat  by  taking 
a  bath  in  the  stream ;  but  the  water  which  we  had  found 
pleasant  in  the  morning  was  now  unpleasantly  warm,  and 
on  trying  it  with  the  themometer  the  mercury  sank  from 
117  degrees  in  the  air  to  only  100  degrees  in  the  water, 
which  was  thus  two  degrees  above  blood-heat. 

During  the  night  we  were  traveling  by  the  bright  light 
of  the  full  moon  when,  looking  south,  I  saw  a  black  wall 
rising  like  a  mountain  of  darkness,  and  rapidly  hiding 
the  sky  as  it  moved  toward  us.     In  a  few  minutes  we 


186  RAPHAEL  PUINIPELLY 

were  in  intense  obscurity,  and  in  the  heart  of  a  sandstorm 
which  rendered  all  progress  impossible.  Dismounting, 
we  held  the  terrified  animals  by  the  lassos,  and  sat  down 
with  our  backs  to  the  wind.  We  had  repeatedly  to  rise 
to  prevent  being  buried  altogether  by  the  deluge  of  sand. 
When  the. storm  was  over  the  moon  had  set.  This  obliged 
us  to  unload  our  half-buried  animals  and  camp  for  the 
night. 

The  next  morning  we  reached  Colorado  City,  opposite 
Fort  Yuma  on  the  Colorado  River.  This  place,  consist- 
ing of  one  house,  had  a  curious  origin,  which  was  told 
me  by  Poston,  who  was  also  the  founder.  Soon  after  the 
purchase  of  Arizona  my  friend  had  organized  a  party 
and  explored  the  new  region.  Wishing  to  raise  capital  in 
California  to  work  a  valuable  mine,  he  was  returning 
thither  with  his  party  when  they  reached  the  Colorado 
River  at  this  point.  The  ferry  belonged  to  a  German 
named  Jaeger,  whose  fare  for  the  party  would  have 
amounted  to  a  considerable  sum.  Having  no  money,  they 
encamped  near  the  ferry  to  hold  a  council  over  this  un- 
expected turn  of  aflPairs,  when  my  friend,  with  the  ready 
wit  of  an  explorer,  hit  upon  the  expedient  of  paying  the 
ferriage  in  city  lots.  Setting  Ehrenberg,  the  engineer  of 
the  party,  and  under  him  the  whole  force,  at  work  with 
the  instruments,  amid  a  great  display  of  signal  stakes, 
they  soon  had  the  city  laid  out  in  squares  and  streets,  and 
represented  in  due  form  on  a  sketch,  not  forgetting  water 
lots  and  a  steam  ferry.  Meanwhile  Jaeger  sat  smoking 
his  pipe  in  front  of  his  cabin  on  the  opposite  shore,  and, 
watching  the  unusual  proceeding,  his  curiosity  led  him  to 
cross  the  river.  He  began  to  question  the  busy  surveyors, 
by  whom  he  was  referred  to  my  friend.  On  learning 
from  that  gentleman  that  a  city  was  being  founded  so  near 
to  his  own  land  the  German  became  interested,  and,  as 


THROUGH  DESERT  PERILS  187 

the  great  future  of  the  place  was  unfolded  in  glowing 
terms,  and  the  necessity  of  a  steam  ferry  for  the  increas- 
ing trade  dwelt  upon  as  well  as  the  coming  of  a  trans- 
continental railway,  he  became  enthusiastic,  and  began 
negotiations  for  several  lots.  The  result  was  the  sale  of 
a  small  part  of  the  embryo  city,  and  the  transportation 
of  the  whole  party  over  in  part  payment  for  one  lot.  I 
must  do  my  friend  the  justice  to  say  that  he  afterward 
did  all  that  could  be  done  to  forward  the  growth  of  the 
place. 

"  How  about  the  city  ?  "  I  asked  Poston. 

"  There  it  is ;  we'll  breakfast  in  it,"  he  answered,  point- 
ing to  the  miserable  house. 

And  we  did ;  and  in  breakfasting,  with  the  exception  of 
the  proprietress,  our  party  formed  the  entire  population 
of  a  city  eight  years  old. 

Our  landlady,  known  as  the  **  Great  Western,"  no 
longer  young,  was  a  character  of  a  varied  past.  She  had 
followed  our  army  throughout  the  war  of  1848  with 
Mexico.  She  was  adored  by  the  soldiers  for  her  bravery 
in  the  field  and  for  her  unceasing  kindness  in  nursing  the 
sick  and  wounded. 

Having  heard  her  history  from  Poston,  I  looked  with 
interest  on  this  woman  as,  with  quiet  native  dignity,  she 
served  our  simple  meal.  She  was  a  lesson  in  the  com- 
plexity of  human  nature. 

We  crossed  the  river  and  made  our  quarters  at  the 
ferry  house.  Our  party  separated,  the  colored  cook  go- 
ing, with  the  muleteer,  back  to  his  Mexican  wife  in 
Sonora.  The  two  Americans  who  had  joined  us  on  the 
road  lived  near  the  fort.  With  their  departure  our  num- 
ber was  reduced  to  three. 

During  our  stay  of  several  days  we  saw  a  good  deal  of 
the  Yuma  Indians^  a  tribe  which,  till  within  a  few  years. 


188  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

was  celebrated  both  for  its  fierceness  and  for  the  beauty 
of  its  women.  But  this  quality  was  already  causing  the 
destruction  of  the  tribe,  and  while  we  were  there  we  saw 
the  funeral  ceremonies  of  the  last  of  the  dark  beauties. 
Unlike  most  of  the  Indians,  the  Yumas  burned  their  dead. 
In  this  instance  a  pile  of  wood  about  eight  feet  long,  and 
four  or  five  feet  wide,  left  hollow  in  the  center  to  receive 
the  body,  formed  the  funeral  pile.  The  body,  wrapt  in 
the  clothing  worn  in  life  and  borne  by  relations,  was 
placed  in  the  pile,  which  was  then  lighted.  As  the  flames 
increased  friends  approached  the  spot,  with  low  and 
mournful  wailing,  to  feed  the  fire  with  some  article  of 
dress  or  ornament.  One  after  another  the  young  Yuma 
women  were  disappearing,  victims  to  disease  brought  by 
the  troops,  and  which,  it  seems,  the  military  physicians 
did  little  to  prevent  the  spread  of. 

Both  the  men  and  women  of  this  tribe  were  large  and 
well  built.  The  women  wore  a  short  skirt  made  of 
strings  of  bark,  fastened  to  a  girdle  around  the  waist, 
and  reaching  to  above  the  knees.  The  most  important 
weapon  of  the  warriors  was  a  short  club. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

A  PLOT  DISCOVERED  IN  TIME.     JOURNEY 
TO  CALIFORNIA 

After  resting  a  few  days  we  made  preparations  to  con- 
tinue our  journey  to  California.  An  emigrant  who,  with 
his  wife,  had  been  forced  by  the  secessionists  to  leave 
Texas  agreed  to  carry  our  baggage  in  his  wagon.  He 
left  the  ferry  in  the  morning,  while  we  were  to  start  in 
the  evening,  and  overtake  him  at  the  first  encampment  on 
the  desert.  During  the  day  there  arrived  a  man  whom 
I  knew  to  be  a  notorious  cut-throat.  This  fellow,  a  tall 
one-eyed  villain,  who  was  known  as  '*  one-eyed  Jack," 
I  knew  must  have  just  come  from  Arizona.  He  wore 
trousers  of  which  one  leg  was  white  and  the  other  brown. 
It  was  soon  evident  that  the  new  arrival  and  Williams 
were  old  cronies,  and  they  passed  most  of  the  day  to- 
gether. Before  we  left  in  the  evening  I  asked  Williams 
the  name  of  his  friend,  and  received  for  answer  that  he 
was  called  Jack,  that  he  had  just  come  from  California, 
and  was  going  to  Arizona. 

We  left  the  ferry  about  dusk,  but  before  we  had  gone 
half  a  mile  Williams  turned  back,  saying  he  had  left  some- 
thing and  would  overtake  us.  Our  route  lay  for  several 
miles  along  the  west  side  of  the  Colorado,  and  Poston 
and  I  rode  to  the  point  where  the  road  leaves  the  river 
to  turn  westward.  Here  we  descended  the  bank  to  water 
the  horses,  and,  dismounting,  waited  nearly  an  hour  for 
our  missing  companion.  We  finally  started  without  him, 
and,  leaving  the  river,  began  to  cross  the  wooded  bottom- 

189 


190  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

land  toward  the  desert.  We  had  ridden  a  short  distance 
when  a  bush,  freshly  fallen  across  the  road,  seemed  to  be. a 
warning  that  the  route  was  impracticable  further  on. 
Poston  remained  by  the  signal,  while  I  looked  in  vain  for 
another  way  through  the  underbrush ;  it  was  evident  that 
the  bush  had  been  cut  since  the  passage  of  the  wagon 
that  morning.  I  had  started  through  the  open  wood  to 
strike  the  road  some  distance  beyond  when  my  attention 
was  drawn,  by  my  horse's  uneasiness,  to  a  mule  tied  in 
the  woods,  and  to  a  man  stretched  out  on  the  ground. 
At  a  glance  I  saw  from  a  distance,  by  the  different  col- 
ored legs  of  the  man's  trousers,  that  "  one-eyed  Jack " 
was  near  me.  Without  stopping  I  went  to  the  road,  and, 
following  this  back,  came  upon  Williams's  horse  fastened 
to  a  tree,  and  near  him  his  owner  apparently  asleep.  On 
being  asked  what  the  bush  meant,  he  replied  that  he  had 
put  it  there  that  we  might  not  pass  him  while  he  slept; 
that  was  the  last  place  where  we  would  find  grass  he 
said,  and,  as  there  would  be  no  water  for  thirty  miles,  we 
must  camp  there  for  the  night.  In  the  meantime  Poston 
rode  up.  The  truth  had  already  entered  my  mind.  But 
dismounting,  while  I  pretended  to  unbuckle  my  saddle- 
girth,  I  asked  Williams  where  he  had  been, 

"  I  went  back  to  the  river  for  my  canteen." 

This  I  knew  was  a  lie,  for  I  had  seen  him  drink  from 
it  as  we  left  the  ferry. 

'*  When  is  your  one-eyed  friend  going  to  Arizona  ?  "  I 
asked. 

"  He's  gone  already ;  I  saw  him  across  the  river,"  was 
the  cool  reply. 

The  villain's  coolness  was  admirable,  but  the  whole 
plot  was  clear.  Jumping  into  the  saddle,  and  making  a 
sign  to  Poston,  I  declared  my  intention  of  riding  on  to 
the  emigrant's  camp.     As  Williams  swore  he  would  go 


A  PLOT  DISCOVERED  IN  TIME        191 

no  further  that  night,  we  left  him  and  soon  entered  the 
desert.  We  both  decided  that  Williams  and  his  friend 
had  conspired  to  kill  us  while  we  slept,  and  then  to  mur- 
der the  emigrant  and  his  wife,  and  get  possession  of  the 
silver  which  had  attracted  the  Mexican  bandits. 

Leaving  the  woods,  which  form  a  narrow  strip  along 
the  Colorado,  we  passed  a  belt  of  shifting  sand  several 
miles  broad,  which  is  gradually  approaching  the  river  and 
burying  the  trees. 

We  reached  the  camp  of  the  emigrant  at  about  3  a.  m., 
and,  entering  the  abandoned  station  of  the  Overland 
Stage  Company,  slept  soundly  till  roused  by  the  noise  of 
the  preparation  for  breakfast.  After  we  had  eaten  and 
begun  to  saddle  our  animals  Williams  rode  up,  and,  en- 
tering the  house,  rather  roughly  told  the  wife  of  the 
emigrant  to  make  him  a  breakfast.  Some  sharp  words 
passed  between  us,  and  Wiliams  left  the  house  with  an 
oath  and  a  muttered  threat.  Poston  beckoned  to  me, 
and  we  went  out.  Our  companion  stood  a  few  yards 
from  the  door,  with  his  back  toward  us,  and  did  not  notice 
our  approach.  Poston,  drawing  his  revolver,  called  Wil- 
liams by  name.  Taken  by  surprise  he  whirled  around, 
and,  catching  sight  of  the  revolver,  made  a  motion  toward 
his  own,  but  he  was  too  old  a  hand  to  draw  a  pistol 
against  one  already  pointed  at  him. 

**  Williams,"  continued  Poston,  in  the  coolest  tone, 
"  Pumpelly  and  I  have  concluded  that  it  wouldn't  be  safe 
for  you  to  go  to  California.  The  last  man  you  killed 
hasn't  been  dead  long  enough,  and  they  have  a  way  there 
of  hanging  men  like  you.  We  don't  want  to  shoot  you, 
for  we  haven't  time  to  bury  you.  You  may  keep  the 
outfit,  but  you  had  better  go  back  and  join  your  friend, 
**  one-eyed  Jack,"  down  there  by  the  river.  You  and  he 
can't  kill  us,  and  you  can't  get  our  silver." 


192  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

With  a  laugh  Williams  held  out  his  hand. 

**  Give  us  your  hand ;  you're  a  d d  sight  sharper 

than  I  thought  you  was;  so  long!  "  and  jumping  into  the 
saddle,  he  rode  away  by  the  road  he  had  come.  We 
watched  him  as  he  went,  and  could  not  help  laughing 
at  the  fellow's  cool  impudence.  I  have  given  this  scene 
in  full  as  an  illustration  of  the  character  of  a  representa- 
tive of  one  type  of  the  frontier  ruffian. 

The  desert  we  were  now  crossing  begins  in  Lower  Cali- 
fornia, and  stretches  several  hundred  miles  northward, 
with  a  width  of  200  miles,  between  the  Sierra  Nevada  and 
the  Colorado  River.  Portions  of  this  great  area  are  de- 
pressed below  the  level  of  the  sea.  Where  we  crossed  it, 
partly  in  Lower  California,  it  was  the  worst  of  deserts. 
Its  center,  along  our  route,  was  a  broad  plain  of  fine 
sandy  clay,  strewn  with  fresh-water  shells,  and  appeared 
to  be  the  dry  bed  of  a  lake,  which  was  once  supplied  from 
the  Colorado  River.  Away  from  this  plain  the  surface 
was  covered  with  ridges  of  shifting  sand.  The  wells  dug 
by  the  Overland  Stage  Company  yielded  a  sulphurous  and 
alkaline  water,  so  fetid  as  to  be  undrinkable,  excepting 
when  the  traveler  was  driven  to  it  by  fear  of  death  from 
thirst.  Indeed,  it  often  induces  a  disease  which  some- 
times proves  fatal. 

On  no  desert  have  I  seen  the  mirage  so  beautiful  as 
here. 

Nearly  forty  years  later  the  Colorado  River  cut  its 
way  into  the  depression  and  formed  the  broad  Salton 
Lake. 

Riding  one  night  we  saw  before  us  a  camp-fire,  by 
which  we  found  an  American  and  one  Mexican.  As 
meeting  a  traveler  on  a  desert  is  always  an  event,  we  dis- 
mounted and  smoked  while  the  others  were  eating.  The 
American  was  on  his  way  to  Sonora,  and  the  Mexican 


A  PLOT  DISCOVERED  IN  TIME        193 

was  his  guide.    We  told  him  how  dangerous  it  then  was 
to  travel  through  the  intermediate  country,  and  in  Sonora. 

"  Well,  I  guess  Fm  pretty  much  proof  against  bullets 
and  arrows,  stranger;  just  feel  here,"  he  replied,  putting 
his  hand  on  his  breast. 

We  felt  his  leather  shirt,  and  found  it  double,  and  lined 
all  round  with  disks  of  something  heavy. 

"  Those  are  all  twenty-dollar  gold  pieces.  I'm  pretty 
much  proof,"  he  continued.  It  was  useless  to  give  fur- 
ther warning  to  a  man  who  published  the  fact  that  he 
was  encased  in  gold,  so  we  left  him  to  his  fate.  We 
heard  afterward,  all  the  way  to  Los  Angeles,  that  he  had 
everywhere  boasted  of  his  golden  armor;  and,  later  still, 
that  he  had  been  murdered  by  his  guide. 

Finally,  in  the  beginning  of  September,  we  approached 
the  western  edge  of  the  Colorado  desert.  Traveling  by 
moonlight,  we  entered  the  valley  of  Carisso  creek,  by 
which  the  desert  sends  an  arm,  like  an  estuary,  into  the 
mountains  which  limit  it.  As  though  fearful  that  the 
traveler  may  forget  the  horrors  of  a  thousand  miles  of 
journey  over  its  awful  wastes,  the  desert,  as  a  last  fare- 
well, unfolds  in  this  dismal  recess  a  scene  never  to  be 
forgotten.  Already  from  the  plain,  through  the  clear 
moonlight,  we  saw  the  lofty  range  bordering  the  waste,  a 
barren  wilderness  of  dark  rock  rising  high  above  the 
gray  terraces  of  sand  that  fringe  its  base,  great  towering 
domes  and  lowering  cliffs  rent  to  the  bottom  and  clasping 
deep  abysses  of  darkness. 

All  night  long  we  forced  our  way  through  the  deep 
sand  of  the  gorge.  Passing  skeletons  of  animals  glitter- 
ing in  the  moonlight,  scorched  by  hot  blasts  ever  rushing 
up  from  the  desert  behind  us,  we  seemed  wandering 
through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death. 

The  next  day  we  reached  the  summit  of  mountains  near 


194  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

the  coast,  and  felt  the  breeze  from  the  ocean.  In  an 
instant  both  horse  and  rider  raised  their  drooping  heads, 
and,  quickened  as  with  a  new  life,  dropped  the  accumu- 
lated languor  of  the  long  journey. 

As  we  descended  the  western  declivity  of  the  mountains 
we  came  upon  a  field  of  big  watermelons.  Think  of  it  — 
watermelons  galore,  after  months  of  desert  thirst !  There 
were  herds  of  cattle  and  magnificent  live-oaks.  It  seemed 
impossible  that  the  cheerful  land  we  were  traversing 
should  be  a  frame  to  the  scene  of  desolation  we  had  left 
the  day  before. 

Our  route  to  Los  Angeles  lay  through  the  stock  ranches 
which  formed,  with  the  vineyards,  the  principal  industrial 
feature  of  the  southern  part  of  California.  Almost  the 
entire  population  consisted  of  emigrants  from  the  South- 
ern states,  and  so  strong  was  the  hatred  felt  toward  the 
North,  since  the  news  of  the  rebel  victories,  that  a  North- 
erner was  as  unwelcome  as  he  would  have  been  in  the 
worst  parts  of  the  South. 

With  our  arrival  at  Los  Angeles,  which  was  then  a 
village  of  adobe  houses,  ended  our  journey  on  horseback. 
A  coasting  steamer  took  us  to  San  Francisco.  Colonel 
Poston  returned  by  the  isthmus  to  the  Eastern  states,  and 
I  passed  two  or  three  months  in  visiting  some  of  the 
principal  mining  districts,  preparatory  to  resuming  the 
practice  of  my  profession.  These  excursions  were  made 
in  company  with  my  fellow  student  at  Freiberg,  James  D. 
Hague. 

In  leaving  the  Santa  Rita  mines  I  took  as  a  memento  a 
bar  of  twenty-eight  ounces  of  the  last  silver  I  had  refined. 
This  was  all  that  I  ever  received  in  lieu  of  the  $1,500 
salary  under  my  contract. 

It  was  some  time  before  my  parents  could  learn  that  I 
was  alive,  and  I  could  receive  the  money  they  sent  me. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
I  ENTER  THE  JAPANESE  SERVICE 

Shortly  before  my  arrival  in  San  Francisco  the  Japa- 
nese Government  had  instructed  Mr.  C.  W.  Brooks,  their 
commercial  agent,  to  engage  two  geologists  and  mining 
engineers  for  exploring  a  part  of  the  Japanese  Empire. 
Through  a  misunderstanding  a  copy  of  the  correspond- 
ence, which  passed  through  our  Minister  at  Yeddo,  having 
been  sent  to  Washington,  our  own  Government  proceeded 
to  make  the  appointments.  By  a  pure  coincidence  I  was 
chosen  as  one  of  the  two  men,  both  at  Washington  and  at 
San  Francisco,  my  colleague  appointed  from  the  first 
place  being  Dr.  J.  P.  Kimball  and  from  the  latter  Mr.  W. 
P.  Blake. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1861,  Mr.  Blake  and  I  went 
aboard  the  clipper-ship  Carrington,  which  was  bound  to 
Yokohama  by  way  of  Honolulu. 

At  midnight  the  friends  who  had  come  to  see  us  off 
left  the  ship.  With  the  hoisting  of  the  anchor  we  cut 
loose  from  the  New  World,  and,  drifting  through  the 
Golden  Gate,  began  the  long  voyage  over  the  great  ocean, 
a  voyage  broken  only  by  a  delightful  visit  of  two  days  at 
Honolulu. 

On  the  evening  of  the  i8th  of  February,  the  ninety- 
second  day  from  San  Francisco,  the  cry  of  '*  land " 
brought  us  all  on  deck.  A  cone  so  regular  in  shape  as  to 
leave  no  doubt  of  its  being  Fujiyama  was  visible  near  the 
setting  sun  —  the  first  glimpse  we  had  caught  of  Asia  and 
the  Japanese  Empire. 

195 


196  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Many  Japanese  fishing  boats  were  visible  and  the  next 
morning  found  us  off  the  entrance  to  the  Bay  of  Yeddo. 
Fujiyama  was  very  distinct,  its  elegant  cone  wholly 
mantled  with  snow,  and  rising  high  into  the  air  above 
the  intervening  wooded  hills.     This   beautiful  volcano, 


Fujiyama  and  Inasima. 

From  a  Japanese  sketch. 

rising  12,400  feet  above  the  sea,  is  perhaps  the  first 
object  associated  with  Japan  in  the  minds  of  all  who  have 
seen  the  decorated  wares  of  that  country.  It  was  there- 
fore fitting  that  this  only  familiar  object,  like  a  solitary 
friend,  should  welcome  us  as  strangers  to  a  land  where 
all  else  was  new. 

Soon  we  passed  the  long  tongue  of  land  known  as 
Treaty  Point,  and  the  Bay  of  Yeddo  opened  before  us 
so  large  that,  in  the  northeast,  no  land  was  visible.  Here 
Mr.  Benson,  U.  S.  Consul,  and  Mr.  Brower,  agent  of 


I  ENTER  THE  JAPANESE  SERVICE     197 

Messrs.  Olyphant  &  Co.,  came  on  board  and  invited  Mr. 
Blake  and  me  to  make  our  stay  at  their  house. 

The  scene  which  met  us  on  landing,  and  through  which 
we  walked  to  Mr.  Brower's  house,  was  no  less  novel  than 
busy.  At  the  head  of  the  quay  we  passed  a  long,  low 
building  with  black  walls  and  paper  windows.  This  was 
the  custom  house,  and  a  large  number  of  men,  each  bear- 
ing two  swords  and  shuffling  in  sandals  in  and  out  at  the 
doors,  were  the  officials  of  this  service.  The  broad 
streets,  leading  through  the  foreign  quarters,  were 
crowded  with  Japanese  porters,  bearing  merchandise  to 
and  from  the  quay,  each  pair  with  their  burden  between 
them  on  a  pole,  and  marking  time  independently  of  the 
others,  with  a  loud,  monotonous  cry  —  Whang  haii 
Whang  hai! 

We  immediately  reported  ourselves  by  letters  to  the 
governor  of  Kanagawa ;  and  receiving  an  answer  that  he 
would  communicate  with  the  Government  at  Yeddo,  we 
settled  down  to  await  orders. 

Nearly  a  month  had  passed  after  our  arrival  in  Japan 
before  we  heard  directly  from  the  Government.  Mr. 
Harris  had  written  to  us  that  they  were  for  some  reason 
opposed  to  our  visiting  Yeddo.  We  found  it  impossible 
to  account  for  the  delay  in  assigning  to  us  our  duties,  the 
more  so  that  they  were,  from  the  time  of  our  departure 
from  America,  paying  at  the  rate  of  a  viceroy's  salary. 

It  seems  that  an  unforeseen  trouble  had  arisen  in  the 
minds  of  the  authorities  concerning  the  social  position  we 
were  to  occupy.  In  a  country  where  rank,  from  the  god- 
Mikado  to  the  lowest  tidewater,  tapers  off  in  an  un- 
broken perspective  of  princes  and  officials  on  one  side,  and 
spies  of  equal  rank  on  the  other,  this  question  had  neces- 
sarily to  be  settled  before  the  first  interview.  Were  min- 
ing engineers  and  geologists  mechanics,  or  were  they  of- 


198  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

ficials  ?  and  if  so,  what  position  did  they  hold  in  the  civil 
or  military  scale  in  the  United  States?  In  despair  the 
question  was  finally  submitted  to  Mr.  Harris,  who  very 
diplomatically  and  considerately  told  them  that  were 
Commodore  Perry  (whom  they  knew)  and  ourselves  at 
his  house,  he  would  treat  us  with  the  same  consideration 
that  he  would  the  Commodore. 

This  settled  the  question,  and  we  received  a  notification 
that  the  future  governor  of  Yesso  would  come  from 
Yeddo  to  call  upon  us.  On  the  appointed  day  an  officer 
arrived  to  announce  the  coming  of  the  Governor,  and 
soon  after  the  loud  jingling  of  the  iron  staflF  and  rings  of 
the  street-warden  gave  notice  of  his  approach.  He  came 
with  a  large  retinue  of  officers,  all  of  whom,  excepting 
his  immediate  attendants,  remained  outside.  The  Gov- 
ernor Kadzu-ya-Chickungono-kami,  and  his  Ometski,^ 
with  three  or  four  officers,  seated  themselves  according 
to  rank  on  one  side  of  the  room,  with  several  scribes  be- 
hind them,  while  we  took  seats  opposite  them,  the  Gov- 
ernor's interpreter  being  in  the  middle. 

The  Governor  hoped  we  had  recovered  from  the  fatigue 
of  our  long  journey.  He  had  been  told  that  we  had  met 
with  head  winds,  and  had  made  a  stormy  voyage.  It 
was  very  kind  in  us  to  come  so  far  to  give  the  Japanese 
instruction  in  mining. 

We  replied  that  we  had  had  a  very  rough  voyage  of 
ninety  days,  but  that  the  interest  we  had  found  in  every- 
thing we  saw  in  his  delightful  country  had  quite  restored 
us.  We  anticipated  much  pleasure  in  doing  what  we 
could  in  the  field  to  which  the  Japanese  Government  had 
called  us.     We  felt  highly  honored  by  the  appointment. 

1  Every  important  officer  had  his  double  whose  duty  it  was  to 
report  independently;  at  least  such  I  was  told  at  the  time  was 
the  function  of  an  Ometzki. 


I  ENTEB  THE  JAPANESE  SERVICE     199 

Several  servants  now  entered  and  placed  in  a  row  two 
light  and  gracefully  woven  baskets  of  oranges,  and  two 
boxes,  each  containing  about  two  hundred  eggs.  After 
asking  us  to  receive  "  these  trifling  presents,"  and  receiv- 
ing our  thanks,  the  Governor  introduced  business  by  in- 
quiring whether,  on  approaching  the  coast  of  Nippon,  we 
had  been  able  to  judge  by  the  color  of  the  sea  or  the 
taste  of  the  water  or  of  the  fish,  or  by  any  other  means, 
of  the  wealth  or  poverty  of  Japan  in  metals.  He  seemed 
a  little  surprised  at  our  negative  answer.  This  was  the 
first  of  a  long  series  of  similar  questions  I  had  to  answer 
in  interviews  with  Japanese  officials  and  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Affairs  at  Pekin.  They  showed  that  these  peo- 
ple, who  have  for  thousands  of  years  sought  the  phil- 
osopher's stone  and  the  elixir  of  life,  supposed  that  the 
scientists  of  the  West  possessed  a  key  to  open  a  royal 
road  through  the  secrets  of  Nature. 

After  informing  us  that  the  Government  had  sent  for  a 
steamer  to  take  us  to  Yesso,  the  Governor  asked  whether 
either  of  us  had  visited  the  mining  districts  of  Europe. 
When  told  that  I  had  made  them  the  subject  of  several 
years'  study  he  was  much  interested,  and  asked  many 
questions  concerning  the  mines  and  the  manner  of  work- 
ing them. 

Kadzu-ya-Chikungono-kami,  with  whom  we  were  to 
have  a  great  deal  of  intercourse  on  the  island  of  Yesso, 
was  the  type  of  a  Japanese  gentleman.  He  had  a  hand- 
some face,  with  a  fair  complexion,  and  an  exceedingly 
kind  expression,  and  he  had  the  modest  and  easy  manner 
which  marks  the  man  of  social  culture  in  all  countries, 
and  especially  in  Japan. 

The  next  morning  the  Governor  returned,  by  appoint- 
ment, to  examine  the  instruments,  etc.,  forming  our  out- 
fit.   During  several  hours  he  wandered  among  theodo- 


200  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

lites,  levels,  chronometers,  sextants,  barometers,  etc.,  ask- 
ing an  explanation  of  each  object,  and  expressing  the 
wish  that  he  might  be  able  to  give  time  to  the  study  of 
science.  During  this  interview,  as  in  that  of  the  previous 
day,  every  word  said  was  written  down  by  the  attendant 
scribes,  while  some  of  the  officers  amused  themselves  by 
sketching  the  novel  display. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

FraST  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO.    PRIMITIVE 
MINING  METHODS 

The  object  of  the  Japanese  government  in  engaging 
the  services  of  Mr.  Blake  and  myself  had  been  to  intro- 
duce modern  methods  in  some  great  gold  and  copper 
mines  already  producing,  on  the  island  of  Nippon,  the 
principal  island  of  the  empire.  But  the  opposition  of  the 
masses  and  of  certain  reactionary  leaders,  who  raised  a 
hue  and  cry  against  foreigners,  had  made  it  necessary 
to  abandon  that  plan.  While  waiting  for  instructions, 
we  made  a  number  of  interesting  excursions  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Yokohama,  though  we  were,  as  foreigners, 
much  restricted  as  to  where  we  were  privileged  to  go. 

It  was  finally  decided  to  send  us  to  the  island  of  Yesso 
for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  mines  there  and  of 
giving  instruction  in  mining  to  some  men  by  whom  we 
were  to  be  accompanied.  We  sailed  on  the  Ringleader 
for  Yesso,  and  entered  the  harbor  of  Hakodade  after  a 
short  and  pleasant  voyage.  This  town,  the  northernmost 
of  the  then  open  ports,  is  built  on  the  footslope  of  a 
rugged  peak,  which,  rising  1,150  feet,  overlooks  the  straits 
of  Tsungara,  and  commands  a  view  of  the  hills  of  Nippon. 
This  island-like  peak  is  connected  with  Yesso  by  a  low 
sandy  neck,  thus  forming  a  harbor  several  miles  broad, 
and  accessible  for  the  largest  vessels. 

Pending  the  building  of  a  house  suitable  for  our  dwel- 
ling, quarters  were  assigned  us  at  the  custom-house. 

201 


202  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

It  was  necessary  to  first  make  a  general  tour  of  ob- 
servation through  the  island.  Accordingly,  on  the  23d 
of  May,  we  set  out  on  our  first  official  journey.  The 
Government  had  attached  to  us  a  staff  of  five  officers, 
who  were  at  the  same  time  assistants,  escorts,  and  pupils. 
Two  of  these,  Takeda  and  Oosima,  were  chosen  as  having 
distinguished  themselves  in  the  study  and  application  of 
European  science;  two  others,  Tachi  and  Yuwao,  were 
officers  of  the  mining  department  of  the  revenue  office; 
the  fifth,  Miagawa,  accompanied  us  in  the  capacity  of 
both  interpreter  and  student.  Besides  these,  an  ometzki 
was  sent. 

With  our  servants  we  made  a  train  of  eleven  horsemen 
as  we  rode  through  the  long  paved  street  of  Hakodade. 

Crossing  by  the  sand  neck  to  the  main  island,  we  can- 
tered over  the  firm  beach  to  Arikawa,  passing  through 
straggling  hamlets  of  fishermen  where  oil  was  being  made 
from  tons  of  reeking  herrings,  and  threaded  our  way 
among  a  labyrinth  of  drying  nets,  and  under  myriads  of 
noisy  ravens  and  crows.  These  birds  enjoy  absolute 
security  in  all  Japan.  Welcome  as  scavengers,  they  are 
little  feared  by  the  farmer,  who  by  a  simple  contrivance 
frightens  them  from  the  crops  of  his  small  fields. 

After  a  short  ride  through  a  wooded  valley  we  reached 
the  lead  mines  of  Ichinowatari,  lying  at  the  entrance  to  a 
rocky  ravine  containing  a  wild  mountain  torrent.  The 
ore  carried  lead,  zinc,  and  copper.  In  all  Japanese  mines 
the  absence  of  pumping  machinery  prevented  mining  to 
any  considerable  depth  below  the  level  of  the  entering 
tunnel.  The  galleries  were  tolerably  well  timbered, 
though  low  and  narrow.  Owing  to  ignorance  of  blasting, 
their  means  of  attacking  the  rock  were  —  till  powder  was 
introduced  by  me  —  confined  to  pointed  instruments:  a 
miner's  pick  with  one  point,  a  hammer,  and  a  gad  with 


FIRST  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO  203 

handle,  completing  the  outfit.  The  ore  was  roughly  as- 
sorted by  hand,  and  then  passed  under  dry  stamps. 

I  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  find,  in  the  mountains  of 
Japan,  stamps  constructed  on  the  same  principle  as  those 
of  Cornwall  and  Germany,  though  far  inferior  in  effi- 
ciency. They  were  worked  by  an  overshot  waterwheel, 
turning  a  cam  shaft.  The  stamped  ore  was  concentrated 
in  wooden  pans,  generally  by  women,  to  a  very  pure 
slime. 

These  mines  were  very  poor,  their  greatest  production 
having  been  in  i860,  when  during  a  few  months  it  aver- 
aged 600  pounds  of  lead  daily.  At  the  time  of  my  visit 
it  was  about  eighty  pounds.  As  a  curiosity  I  give  below 
a  schedule  of  the  daily  expenses  at  these  mines : 

Thirty  miners,  averaging  6  cents  each $1.80 

Thirty  coolies,  at  8  cents  each 2.40 

Seven  overseers,  at  5  cents  each 35 

One    carpenter 08 

Twenty-six  ore-dressers,  averaging  3  cents  each 78 

Two  men  at  the  stamps,  at  4  cents  each 08 

One    smelter 08 

Two  smelter  assistants,  at  4  cents  each 08 

Two  hundred  pounds  of  charcoal 17 

Thirty  pounds  of  inferior  pig  iron 16 

$5.98 

The  vein  was  so  small  that  even  considering  the  cheap- 
ness of  labor  it  seemed  doubtful  to  advise  much  outlay 
in  improvement.  Some  simple  changes  in  the  stamps, 
concentrating  method,  and  furnace  could  increase  effi- 
ciency. By  the  use  of  powder  the  rapidity  of  opening 
and  mining  could  be  greatly  increased. 

However,  being  now  on  a  general  reconnaissance,  we 
could  only  make  notes  for  future  use. 


204  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

As  this  was  our  first  official  journey,  the  Government 
had  ordered  that  we  should  receive  the  same  honors  in 
passing  through  towns  that  were  shown  to  the  Governor 
on  his  annual  trip.  Thus  we  were  met  by  the  wardens  of 
villages  at  the  town  limits,  sometimes  two  or  three  miles 
distant  from  the  houses.  These  men,  coming  on  foot, 
went  down  on  their  knees  as  the  train  approached,  and 
then,  after  touching  the  ground  with  their  foreheads, 
jumped  up  and  led  the  way  to  the  inn.  Independent  of 
the  fact  that  a  European  must  feel  more  disgusted  than 
honored  by  having  a  man  kneel  before  him  in  the  dust 
and  mud,  these  men  were  a  great  nuisance,  as  Japanese 
ideas  of  dignity  required  us  to  follow  them  at  a  walking 
pace. 

Japanese  despotism  had  trained  the  people  very  thor- 
oughly in  the  art  of  falling  instantaneously  on  their  knees. 
It  was  astonishing  to  see  the  effect  of  the  magic  word 
sh'taniro!  (kneel)  upon  a  dense  crowd  when  a  person  of 
high  rank  was  passing.  As  if  by  enchantment  every  gap- 
ing, laughing,  and  chattering  native  was  prostrated,  and 
a  deep  silence  reigned,  broken  only  by  the  jingling  rings 
on  the  warden's  iron  staff,  and  the  solemnly-repeated 
warning,  sh'taniro!  sh'taniro! 

In  most  of  the  villages  we  found  small  heaps  of  white 
sand  scattered  along  the  streets,  which  we  were  told  was 
intended  as  an  honor  for  us. 

We  found  out  that  in  these  prostrations  the  people 
were  mistaken  as  to  the  persons  to  be  honored.  My  col- 
league Blake,  instead  of  having  a  Japanese  manservant, 
had  taken  a  negro  named  Trusty  who  had  been  a  cabin 
boy  on  the  steamer  that  brought  us  to  Hakodade.  He 
was  the  first  of  his  color  ever  seen  on  Yesso.  In  our 
cavalcade  Trusty  rode  at  the  rear,  and  we  noticed  that 


FIRST  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO  206 

the  kneeling  people  waited  till  the  negro  came  up  before 
knocking  their  heads  to  the  ground. 

At  Kobi,  as  at  many  points  on  the  coast,  large  quanti- 
tie  of  magnetic-iron  sand  are  concentrated  on  the  beach 
by  the  surf,  and  a  bed  of  the  same  material,  much  ox- 
idized, crops  out  in  the  bluff  deposits,  which  are  them- 
selves raised  beaches. 

Here  Takeda  asked  me  to  go  and  see  a  furnace  he  had 
built  to  make  iron.  He  wanted  to  know  why  it  didn't 
work.  We  rode  along  the  beach  till  there  rose  before 
my  startled  eyes  a  blast  furnace  thirty  feet  or  more  high. 
In  its  lines  and  finish  it  was  the  work  of  an  artist.  An- 
swering my  question,  Takeda  showed  me  the  small  pic- 
ture of  a  furnace  in  a  Dutch  edition  of  Stockhardt's 
Chemistry.  The  picture  was  accompanied  by  practically 
no  details  for  construction  and  use.  The  book  stated 
that  air  was  blown  into  the  furnace.  So  Takeda  made  a 
wooden  cylinder  bellows,  worked  by  two  or  three  men, 
instead  of  a  blast  run  by  steam  power,  which  had  not 
been  described  in  the  elementary  textbook.  Still  the  iron 
had  been  reduced  and  smelted,  but  it  had  preferred  to 
stay  in  the  furnace  instead  of  flowing  out  when  tapped, 
hence  Takeda's  despair.  I  found  that  he  had  been  trying 
to  do  the  impossible,  for  the  ore  he  used  was  the  highly 
titaniferous  iron  sand  from  the  neighboring  shore.  With 
an  ordinary  ore  he  would  really  have  got  pig-iron  out  of 
that  furnace.  And  I  do  not  doubt  that  his  energy  and 
quick  intelligence  would  have  led  him,  without  outside 
instruction,  to  get  a  better  method  of  making  a  powerful 
blast. 

I  showed  Takeda  on  the  spot  how  with  such  a  furnace 
lined  with  fire-brick,  and  with  a  larger  blast  worked  by 
waterpower,  he  could  make  a  fair  yield  from  proper  ores. 


!206  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Oosima  also  had  built  a  furnace  for  his  daimio  on 
Nippon,  and,  having  favorable  ore,  had  succeeded,  after 
repeated  experiments,  in  producing  pig-iron. 

The  character  of  these  men  appeared  to  me,  suddenly, 
as  prophetic.     I  had  no  doubt  of  the  future  of  Japan. 

Takeda  was  a  man  of  lovable  character  and  a  fine  type 
of  the  Samurai.  There  comes  to  my  memory  a  remark 
he  once  made  that  was  both  striking  and  characteristic. 
It  was  soon  after  my  arrival  at  Hakodade.  I  had  been 
riding  through  the  town,  and  been  followed  by  coolies 
shouting:  '' hacca!  hacca!"  (fool!  fool!)  and  pelting  me 
with  mud.  I  had  lost  my  temper  and  had  chased  one  of 
the  men  till  he  hid  in  a  house.  I  asked  Takeda  what  one 
should  do  in  such  a  case.  "  There  are  only  two  courses 
open  to  a  Samurai,"  he  said ;  "  either  pay  no  attention, 
or  —  draw  the  sword  and  kill.  To  do  otherwise  would 
be  to  lower  yourself  to  their  level." 

To  this  lesson  in  the  control  of  temper,  which  I  took  to 
heart,  I  owe  the  fact  that  I  was  able  to  come  scatheless 
later  through  mobs  in  China. 

We  were  now  detained  more  than  two  months  at 
Hakodade  by  the  prevalence  of  measles  over  all  the  is- 
land, and  in  the  families  of  the  officers  attached  to  us. 
During  this  time  we  gave  regular  instruction  to  our  as- 
sistants in  the  branches  bearing  on  mining  and  metal- 
lurgy, an  occupation  which,  at  the  same  time,  gave  me 
some  insight  into  the  intellectual  capacity  of  the  class 
represented  by  these  men.  The  difficulties  to  be  overcome 
were  very  great,  as  we  were  teaching  subjects  of  which 
but  few  of  the  technical  terms  had  Japanese  equivalents, 
to  students  who  were  ignorant  of  the  elementary  branches 
which  necessarily  precede  the  study  of  applied  sciences. 
But  they  showed  anxiety  to  learn,  as  well  as  rapid  com- 
prehension.    It  had,  however,  to  be  very  elementary.     I 


FIRST  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO  207 

used  a  collection  of  the  common  minerals  and  rocks  gath- 
ered on  the  excursions  for  teaching  how  to  recognize 
them.  The  outlines  of  geology  I  taught  verbally  and  by 
sketched  illustrations  and  observation  in  the  field.  So 
also  the  methods  of  mining.  I  taught  the  use  of  the 
surveying  instruments  in  the  field  as  far  as  was  possible 
in  their  ignorance  of  trigonometry. 

Our  interviews  with  the  Governor  and  his  council  took 
place  alternately  at  his  palace  and  in  our  own  quarters. 
At  the  palace  they  were  always  accompanied  with  tea 
and  refreshments,  and  often  with  a  Japanese  dinner, 
while  the  short  pipe  of  the  country  was  in  constant  use. 
This  was  quite  an  important  weapon  in  diplomacy,  and  a 
Japanese  Minister  or  Governor  never  failed,  when 
pressed  with  a  question,  to  gain  time  for  reflection  in 
filling  and  lighting  a  pipe  of  their  fragrant  tobacco. 

The  Governor  and  all  the  high  officers  about  him  were 
men  whose  dignified  bearing  and  refinement  and  suavity 
of  manner  would  grace  any  Western  society.  And  I  re- 
member that,  as  a  rule,  they  showed  consideration  to- 
wards inferiors  and  servants,  never  exhibiting  the  pas- 
sionate outbursts  so  common  among  Chinese  officials  — 
a  difference  perhaps  arising  from  the  consciousness  of 
power  with  the  Japanese.  The  governors  never  lost  self- 
possession  in  presence  of  the  sometimes  excited  and  rude 
language  of  some  Western  representatives.  On  one  oc- 
casion, in  answer  to  my  question  whether  this  self-pos- 
session were  inborn  or  the  result  of  education,  the  Gov- 
ernor replied  that  it  was  made  one  of  the  most  important 
features  of  training,  from  the  earliest  childhood  through 
life.  Indeed,  so  delicate  was  the  sense  of  personal  honor 
in  the  official  class  that  the  wounded  feelings  of  an  equal 
might  easily  cause  him  to  retaliate  by  hara-kiru,  thereby 
forcing  the  offender  to  perform  the  same  operation.     The 


208  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

necessity  for  self-control  thus  rested  on  a  basis  no 'less 
strong  than  the  love  of  life. 

Formerly,  in  committing  hara-kiru,  the  suicide  actually 
ripped  open  his  bowels.  In  my  time  he  simply  scratched 
the  abdomen,  drawing  blood,  while  an  attendant,  dressed 
in  white,  gave  the  deathblow  with  a  sword. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

SECOND  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO.     AINOS.     I 
TEACH  THE  USE  OF  POWDER  IN  MINING 

Towards  the  end  of  July  the  measles  were  so  far  on 
the  decline  throughout  the  island  that  we  prepared  a 
more  extended  journey  of  reconnaissance.  On  the  5th 
of  August  we  left  Hakodade  for  the  west  coast. 

On  this  trip  in  a  marsh  near  the  large  fishing  village  of 
Yamukshinai  we  found  numerous  tepid  springs  which 
bring  to  the  surface  a  mineral  oil  of  the  consistency  of 
tar.  Several  priests  were  using  this  product  for  light, 
and  in  the  manufacture  of  India  ink.  These  old  men 
received  us  hospitably,  and  listened  with  incredulous 
wonder  to  our  stories  of  artesian  borings  and  flowing 
wells  of  petroleum. 

The  Hairy  Ainos 

Before  reaching  Yurup  we  passed  through  a  settlement 
of  the  remarkable  aboriginal  race  of  Ainos,  which  was 
shrinking  steadily  in  numbers  before  the  superior  civil- 
ization of  their  rulers.  Although  those  whom  we  saw 
had  been  long  in  close  contact  with  the  Japanese,  we  were 
told  that  they  did  not  differ  much  from  those  in  the 
interior.  They  were  of  medium  stature,  and  strong  and 
compactly  built.  The  face  was  broad,  the  forehead 
rather  low,  the  nose  short,  and  oftener  slightly  concave, 
in  profile,  than  straight.     Their  eyes  differ  decidedly  in 

209 


210  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

shape  from  the  Mongolian  type,  and  are  black.  Their 
color  was  perhaps  a  little  darker  than  that  of  the  Jap- 
anese; the  smallest  children  were  white. 

But  the  most  remarkable  characteristic  of  this  people, 
in  which  they  differ  from  all  other  races  of  eastern  Asia, 
is  the  luxuriant  growth  of  their  hair,  which  is  straight, 
long,  and  glossy.  The  men  have  heavy  beards  of  great 
length,  and  mustaches  of  such  dimensions  that  they  form 
a  curtain  which  has  to  be  raised  to  gain  access  to  the 
mouth  in  eating.  The  whole  body  is  more  hairy  than  in 
other  races. 

A  book  on  anthropology  has  a  portrait  of  Tolstoi 
alongside  of  one  of  an  Aino.  The  traits  of  the  two  in- 
dividuals are  nearly  identical. 

The  women  are  short,  tattoo  their  chins,  and  wear  long 
earrings.  The  Japanese  look  upon  the  Ainos  with  con- 
tempt. But  notwithstanding  the  degraded  position  which 
they  are  now  able  to  assign  to  this  people,  the  Ainos  were 
able  during  more  than  a  thousand  years  to  maintain  a 
vigorous  defensive  warfare.  It  is  probable  that  they 
were  the  aborigines  of  Nippon;  indeed,  as  late  as  the 
seventh  century  they  occupied  a  considerable  portion  of 
that  island.  And  it  was  not  until  about  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury that  they  were  brought  into  complete  subjection  by 
Yoshitzune.  At  present  they  are  a  mild,  good-natured 
race,  and  the  early  European  navigators  found  no  terms 
too  strong  in  praising  their  simple  habits  and  virtues. 

As  we  passed  through  the  village  we  met  several  men 
who  saluted  us  in  the  Aino  manner,  by  lowering  their 
hands  gracefully  from  their  mouths  in  stroking  their  long 
beards.  The  houses  or  huts  were  built  of  poles,  covered 
with  brush  or  rushes.  They  were  rectangular  on  the 
ground,  and  curved  at  the  sides  and  ends  upward  to  the 
ridge  pole ;  each  hut  was  fenced  about  with  reeds.     Near 


SECOND  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO  211 

each  of  them  was  a  small  building  raised  about  eight  feet 
from  the  ground  on  posts,  and  serving  as  a  storehouse  for 
fish,  sea  weed,  and  so  forth.  Before  many  of  the  dwel- 
lings I  observed  the  skulls  of  bears,  raised  on  long  poles. 
Reverence  for  this  animal  has  not  prevented  the  Ainos 
from  becoming  very  skilful  in  the  art  of  trapping. 
Sticks  cut  so  that  long  tassels  of  shavings  hang  from  the 
sides  are  also  connected  in  some  way  with  their  supersti- 
tions. They  are  called  inas,  and  are  found  raised  on 
poles  alongside  of  the  skulls  of  bears,  and  stuck  into  the 
earth  near  graves. 

The  characteristics  of  the  Ainos  were  formerly  little 
known,  but  they  are  now  assigned  to  the  Caucasian  race. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  they  represent  a  portion  of  the 
anti-Mongolian  population  of  eastern  continental  Asia,  of 
whom  the  easternmost  islands  have  become  the  last  foot- 
hold, just  as  the  least  accessible  portions  of  the  Indian 
archipelago,  the  mountains  of  China  and  Thibet,  and  the 
frozen  regions  of  the  Northeast  contain  the  varied  rem- 
nants of  peoples  who  have  no  longer  place  in  either  his- 
tory or  tradition. 

I  Make  First  Application  of  Powder  to  Mining  in 
Japan 

At  Yurup  I  made  the  first  application  of  powder  to 
mining  that  had  ever  been  attempted  in  Japan.  The  men 
readily  learned  the  art  of  drilling,  but  could  not  be  per- 
suaded to  take  any  part  in  the  charging,  tamping,  and 
lighting  of  the  first  hole.  Neither  they  nor  my  officers 
would  stay  to  watch  the  process,  but  left  the  mine  in  a 
body.  They  came  back  immediately  after  the  explosion, 
fully  expecting  to  find  the  works  fallen  in,  and  the  rash 
foreigner  buried  in  the  ruins.     Their  delight  was  inde- 


212  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

scribable  when  they  saw  the  result  of  the  blast,  which, 
at  the  cost  of  an  hour's  labor,  had  accomplished  more 
than  they  were  able  to  do  by  their  own  process  in  several 
days.  After  this  they  stayed  to  learn  all  about  the  tamp- 
ing and  lighting,  and  very  soon  went  through  the  whole 
operation  without  assistance.  Then  I  showed  how  to 
place  holes  to  the  best  advantage. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  use  of  powder  for  blasting 
should  have  remained  so  long  unknown  to  China  and 
Japan,  where  it  has  been  used  for  other  purposes  since 
very  early  times.  It  was  amusing,  too,  to  find  the  Jap- 
anese Government  in  1862  urging  to  me  the  same  objec- 
tions to  its  use  in  mines  that  were  put  forward  under 
similar  circumstances  by  the  governments  of  Europe  two 
or  three  hundred  years  ago.  It  was  not  without  some 
difficulty  that  I  obtained  permission  to  make  the  trial. 
The  result  was  so  successful  that  before  I  left  Japan  I 
was  told  that  several  princes  had  sent  men  to  Yurup  to 
learn  the  new  process. 

When,  forty-two  years  later,  during  the  Russo-Jap- 
anese War,  I  read  that  the  Japanese  had  taken  Port 
Arthur  by  blowing  up  a  gate  —  to  rush  in  while  the  debris 
was  still  falling  on  the  soldiers  —  the  thought  came  to  me 
that  this  blast  was  the  lineal  descendant  of  the  one  I 
lighted  at  Yurup. 

For  the  following  year  I  had  chosen  for  my  work  a 
geological  survey  of  the  accessible  parts  of  the  island. ' 
I  believed,  from  my  observations  along  the  shore,  that  a 
study  of  the  exposures  along  the  coast  around  the  island, 
supplemented  by  such  as  could  be  found  in  the  interior 
along  the  larger  rivers,  would  yield  an  economically  valu- 
able knowledge  of  the  geology  of  the  interior.  Mr.  Blake 
would  devote  his  efforts  to  instruction  in  mining  and 


SECOND  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO  213 

chemistry.  This  seemed  to  solve  most  satisfactorily  the 
problem  of  how  we  could  best  serve  the  Government. 

A  severe  winter  set  in  and  we  settled  down  in  Hako- 
dade  to  give  instruction.  I  was  now  able  to  speak  the 
common  dialect  fairly  well.  My  companions  had  learned 
much  on  the  excursions,  in  a  rule-of -thumb  way,  about 
minerals  and  rocks  and  geology  and  about  mining.  There 
was  thus  a  common  ground  on  which  to  build,  for  we 
had  specimens  of  the  ores  and  other  minerals  and  rocks 
that  they  and  I  had  collected,  as  well  as  their  own  and 
my  notes  and  sketches  of  geological  structure  and  of 
veins  of  ore.  Excepting  the  names  of  minerals  and 
rocks,  which  they  memorized,  hardly  any  foreign  words 
were  used ;  sketches  largely  took  their  place. 

The  men  showed  intelligent  interest  and  took  full  notes 
with  sketches.  I  did  not  as  yet  attempt  much  in  metal- 
lurgy. 

We  were  not  without  social  amusements  in  the  isolated 
city.  I  remember  well  a  masked  ball  given  at  the  Russian 
Consulate  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  of  some  Russian  war 
vessels.  I  put  on  the  full  suit  of  a  Japanese  warrior. 
Shekshi,  my  soldier-factotum,  held  the  bit  while  I 
mounted.  The  terrified  horse  reared  high  and,  as  I 
brought  him  down,  his  hoof  cut  a  gash  in  the  scalp  of 
Shekshi's  wife  who  was  near.  She  bravely  made  light 
of  it,  so  I  started.  The  moon  shone  on  my  dark  armor, 
on  the  awful  visor  that  hid  my  face,  and  on  the  great 
horns  above  the  helmet. 

My  horse  plunged,  people  wondered  and  scattered. 

I  had  never  been  in  the  Consulate.  The  approach  was 
up  a  high  flight  of  granite  steps.  If  the  Russians  rode 
up  these,  I  must ;  but  how  would  my  charger  like  it  with  a 
rattling  load?  With  good  horse-sense  he  gave  his  whole 
attention  to  his  feet,    The  astonished  porter  asked  why 


214  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

I  hadn't  chosen  the  level  entrance  on  the  side  street;  nc 
horse  had  ever  climbed  those  steps. 

Everything  at  the  ball  was  nice  excepting  that  in  danc- 
ing my  iron  helmet  kept  bad  time  on  my  skull.  At  first 
no  one  guessed  me,  but  word  had  spread  that  the  Jap- 
anese warrior  had  ridden  up  the  steep  flight  of  steps. 
Several  said :  **  Of  course  you  won't  leave  by  that  way ; 
you  couldn't." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  I  answered.  **  They  are  good  practice 
for  my  horse."  Of  course  I  did  not  want  to  try  this 
much  more  dangerous  descent,  and  the  thought  that  I 
had  thus  accepted  a  challenge  to  do  it  brought  shivers 
that  luckily  were  not  needed.  For  when  the  party  broke 
up  I  found  that  the  host  had  ordered  the  locking  of  the 
high  entrance,  and  had  my  horse  taken  through  the  gar- 
dens to  the  other  doorway. 

During  this  time  there  was  growing  the  revolution 
which  was  to  make,  within  a  decade,  the  change  from 
feudalism  to  a  constitutional  monarchy  that  required  four 
centuries  in  Europe,  and  that  made  possible  the  position 
among  the  nations  that  Japan  has  since  attained. 

Among  the  charges  brought  against  the  Taikoon  by 
the  anti-foreign  party  was  one  which  accused  him,  in 
engaging  us,  of  throwing  the  resources  of  the  country 
open  to  foreign  spies.  Finding  itself  losing  ground,  the 
Yeddo  Government  was  forced  to  suspend  many  of  its 
Hberal  schemes,  and  first  of  all  to  bring  to  an  end  our 
engagement.     This  was  done  in  February,  1863. 

The  notice  came  overland  by  messengers,  who  brought 
a  large  quantity  of  presents.  Takeda  looked  at  them  and 
remarked  that  the  things  did  not  agree  with  the  list  that 
accompanied  them,  and  that  much  inferior  objects  had 
clearly  been  substituted. 

So  this  was  the  end. 


SECOND  JOURNEY  IN  YESSO  215 

What  had  we  accomplished  for  the  country?  Not 
much  beyond  a  beginning.  We  had  examined  all  the 
mining  prospects  that  we  had  been  asked  to  look  at  and 
found  them  of  little  promise.  I  had  introduced  the  use 
of  powder  in  mining.  We  had  determined  that,  in  the 
almost  impenetrable  forest  that  covered  the  great  island, 
search  for  deposits  of  metals  must  be  largely  left  to 
chance  and  to  prospectors.  We  had  found  one  occur- 
rence of  promising  coal  and  indications  of  mineral  oil, 
both  of  which  seemed  to  promise  to  be  of  value.  And 
there  was  a  strong  possibility  of  other  occurrjences  of 
these  on  the  island. 

The  Empire  is  rich  in  deposits  of  useful  metals,  and 
upon  the  island  south  of  Yesso  these,  including  iron,  have 
been  worked  since  very  early  times.  The  Japanese  could 
mine  only  above  the  lowest  water  level  attainable  by  their 
methods. 

As  the  hour  of  leaving  drew  near  the  young  officers 
who  had  so  long  been  my  companions  and  pupils  showed 
how  strongly  they  felt  a  separation  which  threatened  to 
put  an  end  to  the  study  of  foreign  sciences  in  which  they 
had  become  engrossed.  To  several  of  them  I  was  deeply 
attached,  and  that  the  feeling  was  mutual  was  shown  by 
tears  in  the  eyes  of  Takeda,  Oosima,  and  Myagawa  when 
the  moment  of  parting  came,  and  which  were  the 
only  ones  I  ever  saw  in  the  eyes  of  a  man  in  Japan  or 
China. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning  at  the  end  of  February 
when  we  steamed  up  the  long  bay  where  Nagasaki  faced 
us  from  a  hillside.  As  I  saw  it  that  morning,  bathed  in 
sunshine,  it  lies  in  memory,  a  charming  harmony  of  roofs, 
some  of  tile  and  some  of  thatch  half-buried  in  rich  foliage, 
and  above  this  great  solemn  temples  among  towering 
pines  and  widespreading  camphor  trees. 


216  .  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

As  guest  of  our  Consul,  Mr.  J.  G.  Walsh,  I  had  here 
some  happy  days. 

There  were  several  coal  mines  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood, but  as  they  were  on  princely  domain  they  were 
inaccessible  to  me.  After  trying  in  vain  to  get  permis- 
sion to  visit  them,  I  concluded  to  leave  for  China,  where 
foreigners  had  lately  acquired  the  right  of  penetrating  to 
the  interior.  Wishing  to  return  to  America  by  way  of 
China  and  India,  I  had  declined  the  invitation  of  Captain 
Bessargine  to  continue  with  him  the  voyage  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
SHANGHAI 

Toward  the  end  of  March  I  embarked  for  China  on  a 
sailing  vessel.  With  feelings  akin  to  homesickness  I 
watched  the  green  mountains  of  Kiu-siu  and  the  Gotto 
islands  till  the  last  peak  disappeared. 

After  a  few  days  westwardly  sailing,  and  already  at  a 
distance  of  two  hundred  miles  or  more  from  the  China 
coast,  the  sea  water  lost  its  clearness,  and  became  brown- 
ish-yellow, through  the  suspended  silt  which,  brought  by 
the  Yangtz'  Kiang  and  Hwang  Ho  from  the  interior  of 
China,  is  rapidly  filling  the  Yellow  Sea  and  the  Gulf  of 
Pechili.  Passing  a  day  or  two  among  the  shoals  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Yangtz'  we  at  last  entered  the  Wusung 
River.  On  either  side  of  the  stream  high  levees,  covered 
with  grass,  shut  out  the  view  of  the  country  beyond, 
allowing  only  glimpses  of  treetops  and  tiled  roofs.  Many 
Chinamen  and  dogs  were  always  in  sight  on  the  embank- 
ments, and  the  passage  of  the  river  was  frequently  barred 
by  fleets  of  junks,  their  decks  literally  crowded  with 
diminutive  natives,  whose  stolid  faces,  shaven  heads,  long 
queues,  and  incessant  jabbering  produced  upon  me  an  im- 
pression which  was  the  foreshadowing  of  the  endless 
monotony  of  life  and  character  among  this  great  race. 

The  city  of  Shanghai  consisted  of  two  parts,  the  old 
walled  town  and  the  foreign  settlement,  around  which 
there  had  gradually  collected  an  immense  native  popula- 
tion, mostly  drawn  thither  from  the  surrounding  country 

217 


218  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

for  protection  against  the  Tai-ping  rebels.  During  this 
visit  I  found  Shanghai  anything  but  a  pleasant  place. 
Through  the  whole  of  April  there  were  incessant  rains 
and  fogs,  rendering  the  streets  of  both  cities  almost  im- 
passable. Still  I  managed  to  take  many  walks  through 
the  old  town,  than  which  a  more  filthy  place  can  hardly 
be  imagined.  The  streets  were  very  narrow,  often 
muddy.  In  China  nothing  is  lost;  even  the  parings  of 
finger-nails  and  the  clippings  of  hair  from  the  barber's 
shop  are  bought  and  sold  for  manure. 

Cholera  was  raging  in  the  city,  and  the  death  rate 
among  the  natives  was  appalling.  The  source  of  the 
epidemic  was  then  a  mystery.  The  chief  distributor  of 
cholera  was  then  supposed  to  be  water,  yet  the  Chinese 
never  used  it  unboiled.  In  the  light  of  our  present  knowl- 
edge I  have  now  no  doubt  that  the  spreading  of  the  dis- 
ease was  due  to  the  vast  swarms  of  flies  that  issued  from 
the  filth  in  which  they  were  bred. 

Still  the  fascination  of  the  lapidaries  and  bric-a-brac 
shops  was  too  strong  to  keep  me  from  roaming  daily 
through  the  ill-smelling  labyrinth  of  streets  in  search  of 
precious  things.  The  shopkeepers  were  not  friendly  to 
foreigners,  who  usually  came  out  of  curiosity,  but  I  al- 
ways succeeded  in  breaking  the  ice,  though  I  knew  noth- 
ing of  the  language,  and  used  only  signs  and  smiles,  with 
which  one  can  everywhere  say  much.  In  one  of  these 
shops,  where  I  got  on  friendly  terms  with  the  owner,  he 
brought  out  a  cubical  brocade-covered  box  about  four 
inches  high,  from  which  he  took  another  similar  box, 
and  from  it  still  another,  and  so  on  to  a  fifth.  Out  of 
this  he  raised  affectionately  a  transparent  blue  ball  about 
an  inch  in  diameter.  I  thought,  as  he  held  it  up,  that  it 
must  be  glass,  but  it  wasn't;  it  was  a  sapphire,  a  won- 
derfully perfect  stone  of  a  deep  blue  color.     Lost  in  ad- 


SHANGHAI  219 

miration,  I  asked  the  price.  He  wanted  fifteen  hundred 
dollars.  I  knew  the  stone  absolutely  as  a  mineral,  but 
not  as  to  its  value  as  a  gem.  I  knew  that  if  its  require- 
ments as  a  gem  were  perfect,  its  value  at  home  must  be 
many  times  the  price,  otherwise  it  might  have  only  the 
value  of  a  mineral  specimen.  I  had  the  money,  but 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  was  a  large  sum  for  me  to  risk 
against  a  jeweler's  demands.  So  I  sorrowfully  handed 
it  back  to  the  owner,  and  bought  a  superb  rock  crystal 
vase  of  ancient  workmanship,  from  the  looting  in  i860 
of  the  Summer  Palace  near  Peking.  I  risked  the  price 
of  this  because  I  knew  it  not  only  as  rock  crystal,  but  as  a 
choice  work  of  art. 

All  the  way  back  to  the  foreign  settlement  and  all  the 
day  that  sapphire  ball  haunted  me,  and  kept  before  me  in 
my  sleep.  In  the  morning  I  got  up  determined  to  take 
the  chances,  and  went  out  to  buy  it.  Alas !  I  spent  days 
in  tramping  the  labyrinth  of  streets  only  to  fail  in  finding 
the  shop.  I  know  now  that  the  stone  was  perfect  in  all 
respects. 

China  was  probably,  in  the  minds  of  most  people,  as- 
sociated with  the  old  picture  in  the  school  books  of  a  man 
bearing  a  pole  with  a  basket  of  rats  at  one  end  and  one  of 
puppies  at  the  other.  It  was  generally  thought  of  as  the 
home  of  all  that  was  curious  and  ridiculous,  and  as  the 
seat  of  every  kind  of  vice.  I  confess  that  my  first  im- 
pressions of  this  strange  people  and  their  land  were  ex- 
tremely unfavorable,  but  I  pass  these  impressions  by,  giv- 
ing in  this  narrative  only  those  which  were  the  result  of 
maturer  observation. 

Few  travelers  get  more  than  the  most  superficial  ac- 
quaintance with  the  natives,  and  too  often  reflect  merely 
the  views  of  fellow  countrymen  living  on  the  spot.  And 
these  views  are  apt  to  be  tainted  by  race  prejudice,  and 


220  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

by  ignorance,  and  lack  of  human  sympathy.  This  criti- 
cism applied  in  China  much  less  to  the  missionaries  than 
to  the  commercial  foreigners.  To  the  latter  the  China- 
man was  a  producer  of  needed  articles,  and  a  buyer  of 
foreign  goods.  And  if  a  foreign  government  showed 
contempt  of  the  Chinese  people  by  selfishly  forcing  upon 
them  the  horrors  of  opium,^  why  should  the  average 
representative  of  Western  civilization  not  make:  the  life 
and  rights  of  the  Chinaman  subordinate  to  his  conveni- 
ence? 

I  will  give  here  one  of  the  many  instances  which  I  saw 
illustrative  of  this  line  of  conduct.  A  steamboat  which 
had  been  undergoing  repairs  made  a  trial  trip,  crowded 
with  many  of  the  leading  foreigners  of  Shanghai,  all,  like 
myself,  being  invited  for  a  pleasure  excursion  up  the 
Wusung  River.  As  we  were  steaming  at  full  speed  we 
saw,  some  distance  ahead  of  us,  a  large  scow  loaded  so 
heavily  with  bricks  as  to  be  almost  unmanageable  by  the 
oars  of  four  Chinamen.  They  saw  the  steamer  coming, 
and,  knowing  well  how  narrow  was  the  channel,  worked 
with  all  their  force  to  get  out  of  it  and  let  the  boat  pass. 
As  we  stood  watching  the  slow  motion  of  the  scow  which 
we  were  rapidly  approaching,  I  listened  for  the  order  to 
stop  the  engine.  The  unwieldy  craft  still  occupied  half 
the  channel,  the  coolies  straining  every  muscle  to  increase 
her  slow  motion,  and  uttering  cries  which  evidently 
begged  for  a  few  instants*  grace.  There  was  yet  time  to 
avoid  collision,  when  the  pilot  called  out :  "  Shall  I  stop 
her,  sir  ?  "  **  No,"  cried  the  captain,  *'  go  ahead."  There 
was  no  help  for  it.  Horrified  at  hearing  this  cold- 
blooded order,  I  waited  breathlessly  for  the  crash,  which 
soon  came.  The  scow  struck  under  the  bow.  A  shriek, 
a  shock,  and  a  staggering  motion  of  our  boat,  and  wc 

^  Reference  is  to  the  Opium  War. 


SHANGHAI  221 

were  again  steaming  up  the  channel.  Going  to  the  stern 
I  could  see  but  one  of  the  four  Chinamen,  and  he  was 
motionless  in  the  water.  Among  the  faces  of  the  for- 
eigners on  the  crowded  decks  there  were  few  traces  of 
the  feelings  which  every  newcomer  must  experience  after 
witnessing  such  a  scene.  The  officers  of  the  boat  looked 
coolly  over  the  side  to  see  whether  the  bow  and  paddles 
had  suffered  any  damage ;  and  such  remarks  as  were  made 
upon  the  occurrence,  were  certainly  not  in  favor  of  the 
victims.  I  should  add  that  probably  only  a  few  of  the 
passengers  knew  what  had  happened.  This  was  fifty 
years  ago ;  it  could  not  happen  now  with  impunity. 

The  instance  I  have  cited  admitted  of  no  excuse,  as  a 
few  minutes'  time  could  be  of  no  importance  on  a  pleasure 
excursion.  It  was  too  often  the  practice  of  foreign  ves- 
sels to  run  into  junks  or  boats  that  might  be  in  their 
way,  no  matter  how  crowded  with  passengers  these  might 
be. 

After  such  an  occurrence  I  was  not  surprised  to  see 
foreigners,  walking  through  crowded  streets,  hitting  the 
heads  of  Chinamen  with  walking  sticks  to  open  a  path, 
nor  at  the  constant  occurrence  of  similar  abuses  engen- 
dered and  encouraged  by  the  absence  of  any  means  of 
redress  on  the  part  of  the  natives. 

I  would  not  be  understood  as  bringing  a  sweeping 
charge  against  all  the  foreign  inhabitants  of  China. 
There  were  many  noble  exceptions,  but  as  such  they  were 
powerless  beyond  the  sphere  of  their  own  employees. 

My  description  of  these  incidents,  seven  years  later 
in  my  book  Across  America  and  Asia  (1870),  cost  me 
some  friendships  in  China,  especially  that  of  Mr.  Edward 
Cunningham,  to  whose  delightful  hospitality  I  owed  much 
of  the  pleasure  of  my  stay  in  Shanghai. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
JOURNEY  UP  THE  YANGTZ'  KIANG  BEGUN 

A  Narrow  Escape 

I  HAD  seen  a  Chinese  boat  arrive  loaded  with  an  ex- 
ceptionally pure  anthracite.  I  was  told  that  it  came  from 
the  Siang  River  in  the  middle  of  China.  The  longing  to 
explore  came  over  me. 

Excepting  missionaries  few  travelers  had  penetrated 
for  information  far  into  the  interior.  Hue  had  descended 
the  Yangtze  from  Thibet.  Blakeston  has  described  that 
river.  The  geology  of  the  Empire  was  absolutely  un- 
known, for  Richthofen  had  not  yet  undertaken  his  monu- 
mental work. 

So  here,  as  in  Corsica,  yielding  to  the  call  of  the  un- 
known, I  engaged  passage  on  the  steamer  Surprise  bound 
for  Hankow,  the  end  of  steam  navigation  up  the  Yangtze. 

I  had  been  for  weeks  living  a  quiet  life  in  the  hot  and 
muggy  weather  of  Shanghai.  I  had  smoked  a  daily  aver- 
age of  twenty-five  Havanas.  The  morning  I  was  to  start 
I  fell  in  a  heap  on  the  way  to  the  washstand.  I  sent  for 
the  doctor.  He  examined  and  asked  questions.  At  last 
he  said :    **  Do  you  smoke  ?  " 

I  said:    "Yes." 

"  Then  you  must  cut  down  to  half.  How  many  cigars 
do  you  smoke  ?  " 

"  Twenty-five." 

**  That's  killing  here,"  he  answered ;  '*  better  stop." 


JOURNEY  UP  THE  YANGTZ'  KIANG     223 

He  gave  me  a  bottle  of  transparent  red  flakes  of  some- 
thing. 

Going  on  board  the  Surprise,  we  steamed  down  the 
Wusung  River,  and  out  upon  the  broad  estuary  of  the 
Yangtz*,  The  brown  flood  of  this  great  river,  the  '*  Son 
of  the  Sea,"  empties  into  the  ocean  with  a  breadth  of 
nearly  fifty  miles.  It  might  be  aptly  called  the  "  father 
of  the  land,"  as  the  immense  quantity  of  silt  rolled  ocean- 
ward  by  its  current  is  steadily  adding  to  the  continent. 

During  the  first  day  of  our  journey,  where  the  shore 
was  visible,  the  land  beyond  was  hidden  by  the  levees. 
On  the  second  day  the  tops  of  hills  were  seen  in  the  dis- 
tance, rising  gradually  above  the  horizon,  and  promising 
a  variety  in  the  scenery  for  the  coming  day.  This  prom- 
ise, however,  was  not  to  be  fulfilled. 

Pacing  the  deck  with  the  captain  in  the  brilliant  moon- 
lit night,  I  asked  which  of  the  steamers  of  the  line  was 
the  fastest.  **  The  Huquang"  he  answered.  "  She  is  in 
all  senses  the  fastest,  as  she  has  been  left  high  and  dry 
up  the  river  by  the  falling  flood.  She'll  be  there  for  a 
month  yet." 

About  midnight  I  was  awakened  by  a  loud  noise  under 
the  window  of  my  stateroom,  which  was  just  astern  of 
the  starboard  wheelhouse.  Looking  out  I  found  that  the 
engine  had  stopped,  and  a  number  of  Chinamen  were  try- 
ing to  lower  a  boat  from  the  davits.  Just  then  the  wheels 
began  to  move,  and  supposing  that  we  had  merely  been 
aground,  I  returned  to  my  berth  and  fell  asleep,  to  be 
soon  reawakened.  We  were  again  standing  still,  and  the 
Chinamen  who  had  been  making  frantic  efforts  to  loosen 
the  boat  were  gone,  while  a  confused  din  from  the  for- 
ward deck  betokened  some  most  unusual  excitement. 
Knowing  that  we  had  on  board  a  large  number  of  Chinese 


224  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

passengers,  it  occurred  to  me  that  they  might  be  merely 
a  gang  of  rebels  or  pirates,  who  had  mutinied  in  order  to 
seize  and  rob  the  steamer.  Such  things  had  occurred 
before  in  Chinese  waters,  and  the  mere  thought  of  it 
caused  me  to  buckle  on  my  revolver  before  going  forward. 
The  long  saloon  was  empty,  and  filling  with  smoke. 
Rushing  over  the  forward  deck,  I  nearly  fell  into  a  great 
hole,  cut  from  the  port  side  more  than  half-way  across  the 
vessel.  A  man  on  the  opposite  side  of  this  hole  warned 
me  to  lose  no  time  in  saving  anything  I  might  have  of 
value,  adding  that  although  our  bow  was  grounded  on  a 
sand  bank,  there  was  fifty  feet  of  water  under  the  stern, 
and  that  she  must  soon  break  her  back  and  go  down. 
The  crew  and  the  Chinese  passengers  were  in  the  boats, 
and  the  steamer  was  evidently  on  fire.  I  hurried  to  my 
stateroom,  and,  after  dressing  hastily,  set  about  saving 
first  the  money,  then  my  charts  and  instruments,  fearing 
that  each  instant*s  delay  might  make  me  a  second  too 
late.  Carrying  all  my  property  except  some  toilet  articles 
and  a  box  of  cigars,  I  reached  the  bow  and  found  the 
man  who  had  warned  me  already  in  the  boat  and  on  the 
point  of  leaving.  Learning  that  we  had  been  run  into 
by  the  Huquang,  a  steamer  which  had  been  aground  up 
the  river  for  eight  months,  I  rushed  back  to  my  stateroom 
and  saved  my  cigars.  Before  we  had  pushed  off  the 
steamer  was  in  flames. 

The  collision  had  been  caused  by  a  misunderstanding  of 
signals.  Mr.  Osborne,  the  captain  of  our  boat,  was 
knocked  overboard  by  the  shock,  and  although  a  good 
swimmer,  was  never  again  seen.  The  collision  had  actu- 
ally occurred  before  I  was  aroused  the  first  time,  and 
when  I  had  gone  back  to  my  berth  the  boat  was  fast  sink- 
ing, and  had  I  not  awakened  of  my  own  accord  I  should 
probably  have  perished  in  it. 


JOURNEY  UP  THE  YANGTZ'  KIANG     225 

I  remember  noticing  that  a  glass  filled  with  water  on  a 
shelf  at  the  head  of  my  bed  was  not  spilled.  The  ship 
had  been  cut  through  like  an  eggshell. 

As  soon  as  we  had  reached  the  Huquang  the  latter  con- 
tinued its  course  down  the  river,  lighted  on  its  way  by 
the  flames  of  the  burning  wreck. 

After  a  delay  of  a  day  or  two  at  Shanghai,  I  started 
again  for  the  interior  on  the  return  trip  on  the  Huquang. 
This  vessel  was  one  of  the  finest  and  fastest  river  steam- 
ers in  the  world,  and,  like  the  other  boats  of  the  line,  was 
built  in  the  United  States. 

A  little  more  than  a  day's  journey  brought  us  to  the 
wreck  of  the  Surprise,  The  hull  was  burned  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  little  else  was  visible  than  the  frame- 
work and  warped  rods  of  the  machinery.  This  boat  was 
once  a  favorite  steamer  on  the  California  coast. 

About  four  miles  above  the  scene  of  the  accident  we 
passed  the  point  where  the  imperial  canal  crosses  the 
Yangtz'  and  entered  the  treaty  port  of  Chinkiang.  This 
city  had  formerly  great  commercial  importance  from  its 
position  at  the  intersection  of  the  two  great  routes  of 
traffic.  But  during  later  years  the  silting  up  of  the 
canal,  and  the  destruction  by  the  rebels  of  industry  and 
trade  throughout  the  productive  neighboring  country,  had 
reduced  it  to  a  miserable  condition. 

Above  Chinkiang  we  left  the  lowlands  and  entered  the 
hilly  district,  which,  surrounding  Nanking  with  a  radius 
of  forty  or  fifty  miles,  rises  like  an  island  from  the  great 
plain.  As  we  approached  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Em- 
pire, its  gray  walls  were  seen  winding  across  the  tops  and 
along  the  crests  of  the  hills,  but  the  city  itself  was  mostly 
hidden  by  the  inequalities  of  the  surface.  It  was  then  in 
the  ninth  or  tenth  year  of  its  siege,  and  few  of  the  monu- 
ments of  its  former  greatness  had  been  spared  by  the 


226  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

hand  of  war,  or  the  fanaticism  of  the  rebels.  Its  grand 
pagodas  and  the  porcelain  tower  were  so  many  heaps  of 
ruins. 

The  rebels,  not  being  disposed  to  openly  antagonize  the 
foreign  powers,  did  not  interfere  with  the  steamers  on  the 
Yangtz*. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

AN  AMERICAN  FREE  LANCE  CHECKS  THE 
TAI-PING  REBELS 

The  progress  of  the  Tai-ping  rebels  was  everywhere 
marked  by  destruction,  rapine,  and  murder.  Nowhere 
did  they  attempt  a  reorganization  of  the  industry  and  so- 
ciety which  they  had  trampled  down. 

They  left  an  awful  track  of  desolation  through  southern 
and  central  China,  to  which  had  been  added  the  horrors 
of  a  great  flood.  The  Hwang  Ho  (Yellow  River),  which 
had  for  centuries  been  confined  to  one  course  by  a  system 
of  levees,  had  gradually  raised  its  bed  until  the  stream 
was  high  above  the  surrounding  country.  Only  by  the 
annual  expenditure  of  many  millions  of  dollars,  and  the 
constantly  applied  labor  of  an  immense  force  of  men, 
was  this  turbulent  river  kept  from  bursting  its  barriers. 
The  exhaustion  of  the  imperial  treasury  by  foreign  and 
internal  wars,  and  the  official  corruption  reigning  through- 
out the  Empire,  had  occasioned  an  almost  total  neglect  of 
this,  the  most  important  public  work. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  rebels  their  ranks  were  swelled 
by  the  disaffected  and  starving  guardians  of  the  river. 
The  neglect  of  the  embankments  was  followed  by  a 
breach  near  the  city  of  Kai-fung.  For  several  hundred 
years  the  Hwang  Ho  had  flowed  in  an  east-southeasterly 
course  into  the  Yellow  Sea,  but  at  different  times  during 
Chinese  history  it  had  traversed  almost  every  portion  of 
the    great    plain.    Bursting   its    northern    barrier,    this 

227 


228  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

stream,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world,  now  poured  with 
its  whole  volume  over  the  plain  of  Chihli  and  Shantung, 
submerging  immense  areas,  and  finding  outlets  in  the 
Gulf  of  Pechili,  several  hundred  miles  north  of  its  former 
mouth  in  the  Yellow  Sea.  When  we  consider  that  the 
average  population  of  these  two  northeastern  provinces 
was  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  to  the  square  mile,  and 
that  the  region  overflowed  was  by  far  the  most  populous, 
some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  magnitude  of  the  suffering 
which  must  have  been  caused. 

In  addition  to  the  great  loss  of  life  there  came  the 
misery  entailed  by  the  destruction  of  crops,  and  the 
plunging  into  beggary  of  dense  populations.  These 
starving  millions,  pressing  in  among  their  more  fortunate 
neighbors,  soon  reduced  the  whole  country  to  a  condition 
of  famine  and  anarchy.  A  necessary  result  of  this  state 
of  things  was  the  gathering  of  numerous  and  large  bands 
of  robbers. 

Three  years  before  my  visit  a  new  element  entered  into 
this  long  contest.  An  American  by  the  name  of  Ward, 
acting  under  a  commission  from  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment, and  assisted  by  a  few  daring  foreigners,  organized 
and  disciplined  a  force  of  native  soldiers.  Thoroughly 
practised  in  the  Western  drill,  kept  under  the  strictest 
discipline,  and  led  into  action  by  the  bravest  of  officers, 
these  native  troops  entirely  disproved  all  the  Western 
ideas  concerning  the  efficiency  of  Chinese  soldiers.  In- 
spired by  the  reckless  daring  of  Ward,  who  was  always 
first  in  the  breach,  the  men  showed  themselves  unflinch- 
ingly brave ;  and  as  they  wrested  by  storm  city  after  city 
from  the  rebels,  they  won  the  name  of  the  "  Ever  Vic- 
torious Braves."  General  Ward  was  killed  at  the  taking 
of  Tsekie,  and  the  command  was  transferred  to  Burge- 
vine,  one  of  his  assistants,  and  like  him  an  American. 


AN  AMERICAN  FREE  LANCE  229 

Continuing  in  their  successful  career,  the  ''  Ever  Vic- 
torious Braves  "  increased  the  number  of  imperial  vic- 
tories, until  at  last,  under  the  command  of  Major  Gordon, 
since  known  as  "  Chinese  Gordon  and  the  hero  of 
Khartoum,"  they  captured  the  city  of  Suchau,  which  next 
to  Nanking  was  the  chief  rebel  stronghold.  The  back- 
bone of  the  rebellion  was  now  broken,  and  the  taking  of 
Suchau  was  followed  in  a  few  months  by  the  fall  of 
Nanking,  after  a  siege  of  nearly  eleven  years. 

Ward  was  a  free  lance  who  had  an  interesting  past. 
I  am  sorry  that  I  missed  the  chance  of  knowing  him. 
He  had  been  of  the  filibusters  in  Central  America.  Es- 
caping from  there  he  became  a  sailor,  and  mate  on  a 
vessel  sailing  from  San  Francisco.  Soon  after  sailing 
there  came  up  a  severe  storm.  The  crew  rebelled  and 
stayed  below  in  the  forecastle.  No  amount  of  profanity 
could  bring  them  out  to  take  in  sail.  Ward  dropped  an 
opened  keg  of  powder  into  the  forecastle,  then  flourishing 
from  above  a  burning  brand  from  the  cook's  galley,  and 
using  much  ungenteel  language,  he  brought  those  men  to 
a  quick  sense  of  duty.  When  he  arrived  in  China  the 
sea  was  swarming  with  pirate  junks.  With  an  eye  to 
business,  he  contracted  with  the  Chinese  Government  to 
destroy  the  pirates  at  so  much  a  junk.  Using  the  old 
steamer  Confucius  he  made  a  fortune,  and  nearly  rid  the 
sea  of  pirates,  though  it  was  said  that  to  him  all  junks 
were  pirates. 

At  this  time  the  Tai-ping  rebels  had  taken  many  im- 
portant cities  near  Shanghai,  and  were  kept  away  from 
that  port  only  by  fear  of  the  foreign  warcraft.  Ward 
contracted  to  take  these  places  at  so  many  thousand  dol- 
lars a  city,  and  he  did  it. 

After  his  death  the  Chinese  Government  raised  a  monu- 
ment to  his  memory,  and  ennobled  him,  which  meant  en- 


230  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

nobling  not  only  him  but  all  of  his  ancestors,  though  not 
his  descendants ;  the  aristocracy  of  China  has  always  as- 
cended and  not  descended  —  a  very  economical  system. 

But  let  us  return  to  the  narrative,  from  which  the  sight 
of  the  beleaguered  city  has  drawn  us  into  a  digression. 
Neither  Suchau  nor  Nanking  had  yet  fallen,  although  one 
of  the  longest  sieges  in  history  was  drawing  toward  its 
close. 

Passing  out  of  the  imperial  lines,  we  steamed  up  the 
river,  now  through  a  broad  valley  with  isolated  hills  rising 
from  the  plain,  now  approaching  near  to  mountain  ranges 
two  and  three  thousand  feet  high.  For  many  miles  below 
Kiukiang  the  east  bank  of  the  river  is  determined  by  a 
range  of  barren  hills,  outlyers  of  the  Kingteh  group, 
famous  for  its  kaolin  and  porcelain  manufactures.  A 
high  and  picturesque  island  rock  with  precipitous  sides 
rises  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  This  is  the  Siau-ku-shan, 
or  Little  Orphan  Island,  and  the  quaint  buildings  which 
crown  its  cliffs  have  a  historical  and  legendary  interest 
among  the  Chinese.  During  a  storm  a  boat  containing 
two  boys  and  their  parents  was  sunk,  and  the  parents 
drowned.  A  great  frog  took  the  boys  on  its  back,  but  the 
youngest  boy,  grieving  for  his  parents,  threw  himself  into 
the  water  and  drowned.  On  account  of  his  piety  he  was 
changed  to  a  rock  which  grew  upward  to  form  the  beauti- 
ful peak  of  Little  Orphan  Island.  The  frog  carried  the 
older  child  into  Poyang  Lake  where  he  too  was  drowned 
and  arose  in  the  form  of  Great  Orphan  Island.  In  the 
same  lake  the  frog,  for  its  humanity,  was  changed  into 
the  island  called  Frog  Rock. 

There  were  at  Kiukiang  many  refugees  fleeing  before 
the  rebels,  and  seeking  protection  in  the  city,  which  was 
now  defended  by  foreign  powers.  A  large  proportion  of 
these  unfortunates  had  been  well-to-do  families,  but  now, 


AN  AMERICAN  FREE  LANCE  231 

reduced  in  numbers  by  violence  or  starvation,  and  plun- 
dered of  everything  they  had  possessed,  they  were  indeed 
pitiful  objects.  Mothers,  whose  husbands  had  been  killed 
or  impressed  by  the  rebels,  brought  their  children  to  for- 
eigners, begging  them  to  adopt  them,  and  praying  in  re- 
turn only  that  their  little  ones  might  be  insured  against 
starvation. 

Above  Kiukiang  the  river  breaks  through  several 
ranges  of  limestone  hills,  the  rugged  cliffs  and  outlines  of 
which  render  this  portion  of  its  course  extremely  pictur- 
esque. Indeed,  the  journey  from  Chinkiang  to  Hankau 
is  one  not  easily  to  be  forgotten. 

At  Hankau  Mr.  Breck,  the  American  Consul,  kindly 
offered  me  the  hospitality  of  his  house. 

The  cities  of  Hankau,  Wuchang,  and  Hanyang,  sit- 
uated at  the  junction  of  the  Yangtz*  and  Han  rivers,  were 
estimated  by  Abbe  Hue  to  contain  an  aggregate  popula- 
tion of  eight  millions.  Although  this  estimate  was  prob- 
ably much  exaggerated,  it  is  probable  that  the  three  cities, 
comprising  a  provincial  capital,  a  departmental  center, 
and  a  chief  market  town,  formed  the  largest  assemblage 
of  population  in  the  world.  Hankau,  almost  exactly  in 
the  center  of  the  Empire,  was  the  focus  of  commerce  for 
all  the  immense  region  drained  by  the  upper  Yangtz*. 
It  was  also  the  point  of  trans-shipment  into  steamers  and 
sailing  vessels  for  the  trade  of  this  region  with  eastern 
China  and  the  foreign  world.  Here  I  saw  clipper  ships 
taking  in  cargoes  of  tea  for  the  direct  voyage  to  England. 
Moreover,  it  was  the  starting  point  for  the  large  overland 
trade  with  Russia.  It  is  now  the  point  where  the  rail- 
way that  crosses  China  from  Peking  to  Canton  inter- 
sects the  great  trade  route  of  the  Yangtz*  River. 

It  was  just  two  years  after  the  capture  of  these  cities 
by  the  rebels  that  I  visited  them.     Hankau,  always  an  im- 


232  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

portant  center,  under  the  protection  of  foreign  flags  and 
the  impetus  given  by  foreign  trade,  rapidly  became  one 
of  the  most  populous  cities  in  the  Empire. 

Crossing  over  to  Wuchang,  the  provincial  capital,  I  was 
struck  with  the  fact  that  while  Hankau  had  far  out- 
grown its  former  limits,  the  population  of  its  neighbor 
had  shrunken  to  a  small  fraction  of  its  recent  size.  Un- 
der the  guidance  of  some  ragged  soldiers,  I  took  a  long 
ramble  along  the  top  of  the  wall,  which  is  said  to  extend 
fourteen  miles  around  the  city.  It  had  suffered  very 
much  during  the  rebellion,  and  had  recently  been  repaired 
at  great  expense. 

Excepting  along  a  few  of  the  principal  streets,  the  city 
was  in  ruins.  Grass  was  springing  up  on  the  top  of 
the  wall,  and  among  it  there  was  growing  the  wild  straw- 
berry; but  it  had  a  sickening  taste,  which  was  common 
to  this  fruit  wherever  I  found  it  in  Asia.  Descending 
from  the  wall,  I  started  upon  a  stroll  through  the  ruined 
part  of  the  city;  but,  overcome  by  the  accumulated  filth, 
I  was  soon  forced  to  abandon  the  attempt. 

Hastening  out  of  this  foul  atmosphere,  I  crossed  over 
to  Hanyang.  This  city  was  a  complete  ruin.  Only  here 
and  there  appeared  an  inhabited  house,  while  from  the 
top  of  a  high  ridge,  which  traverses  the  town,  the  desola- 
tion was  visible  on  all  sides.  This  narrow  ridge  is  con- 
tinued on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  through  the  cen- 
ter of  Wuchang,  where  several  streets  are  said  to  pass 
through  it  in  tunnels. 

This  was  in  1863.  I^  ^9^^  ^oss  ("Changing  Chi- 
nese ")  tells  us  that  Hanyang  has  an  iron  and  steel  plant 
employing  5,000  men.  It  is  already  selling  its  product 
on  our  Pacific  coast. 

In  making  the  preparations  for  the  continuation  of  my 
journey  I  was  largely  indebted  to  the  kind  assistance  of 


AN  AMERICAN  FREE  LANCE  233 

Mr.  Dick,  of  the  Imperial  Maritime  Customs.  While 
fearing  that  I  should  have  to  go  alone,  I  found  in  the 
Rev.  Josiah  Cox  a  companion  without  whom  I  could 
hardly  have  accomplished  the  trip. 

My  plan  was  to  penetrate  the  coal  fields  of  southern 
Hunan,  and,  thence  returning  to  the  Yangtz',  to  ascend 
to  Sz'chuen.  But  from  every  side  we  were  warned 
against  entering  Hunan,  as  the  population  was  infuriated 
against  foreigners.  Several  months  previously  some  law- 
less soldiers  had  descended  the  river  in  boats  which  they 
had  impressed  in  Hunan,  and  while  at  Hankau  had  kid- 
napped an  Englishman,  and  nearly  murdered  him  on  one 
of  their  boats. 

Still  we  determined  to  make  the  attempt.  The  first 
necessity  was  a  disguise.  Unfortunately  for  the  execu- 
tion of  this  plan.  Nature  had  made  us  both  decidedly  un- 
Mongolian.  Each  of  us  stood  nearly  a  head  higher  than 
the  tallest  Chinaman,  and  my  light  hair  and  blue  eyes 
would  have  been  very  hard  to  disguise.  The  former 
could  have  been  dyed,  and  the  color  of  the  latter  hidden 
under  a  pair  of  blue  Chinese  goggles ;  but  an  insurmount- 
able difficulty  presented  itself  —  I  had  thoughtlessly  had 
my  hair  cut  close  just  before  leaving  Shanghai,  and  there 
was  nothing  to  which  a  tail  could  be  fastened.  So  we 
concluded  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and  show  that 
the  proper  way  for  foreigners  to  travel  was  as  Nature 
and  the  tailors  at  home  had  made  them.  I  confess  it  was 
not  without  many  misgivings  that  we  hastened  our  prep- 
arations. 

After  much  searching  we  succeeded  in  finding  a  pas- 
senger boat  of  about  eighty  tons  burthen,  commanded  by 
a  skipper  who  assured  us  that  he  was  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  waters  of  Hunan  and  of  the  upper 
Yangtz'.    A  carefully  worded  contract  was  drawn  up 


234!  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Dick  and  Mr.  Cox,  both 
of  whom  were  well  versed  in  the  language  and  character 
of  the  Chinese.  Almost  the  only  provisions  we  laid  m 
were  rice,  sardines,  crackers,  and  ale. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
BOAT  JOURNEY  CONTINUED 

Beset  by  Mobs 

We  went  aboard  at  midnight  March  23d.  The  weather 
was  hot,  and  the  air  loaded  with  horrible  smells  from  the 
foul  mud. 

Quarreling  over  the  terms  of  the  contract  kept  us 
moored  till  late  in  the  afternoon.  By  this  time  I  was 
down  with  a  low  fever.  Mr.  Cox  begged  me  to  stay  in 
Hankau  till  the  fever  should  be  over,  but  I  felt  that  if 
my  illness  were  a  dangerous  one  I  should  be  more  likely 
to  die  in  the  foul  air  of  the  city  than  on  the  water.  I  had 
rather  die  in  the  fresh  air  on  the  broad  river.  This  de- 
cision perhaps  saved  my  life.  I  have  never  known  what 
kind  of  fever  I  had.  I  was  very  ill  for  more  than  a 
week  and  had  a  slow  recovery.  As  soon  as  I  could  crawl 
from  my  bed  out  onto  the  boardwalk  surrounding  the 
boat,  I  lay  down  on  this  dressed  only  in  silk  pajamas,  and 
had  cold  water  thrown  over  me,  then  I  went,  still  wet, 
back  to  bed. 

Our  boat  was  a  flat-bottomed  craft,  with  a  house  ex- 
tending nearly  two-thirds  the  length  of  the  deck,  and  di- 
vided into  four  cabins  communicating  with  each  other. 
Giving  one  of  these  to  our  servants,  and  another  to  Mr. 
Cox's  Chinese  writer,  we  made  ourselves  quite  comfort- 
able in  the  remaining  two.  By  means  of  sailing,  sculling, 
poling,  and  tracking,  with  a  crew  of  nine  men,  we  man- 

235 


236  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

aged   to   make   about  twenty  miles   a  day   against   the 
current. 

On  the  eighth  day  from  Hankau  we  passed  the  depart- 
mental city  of  Yochau  and  entered  the  Tung-ting  Lake 
with  a  favorable  breeze.  This  water  had  the  reputation 
of  being  visited  by  dangerous  squalls.  Therefore,  on  the 
morning  before  our  entrance  upon  the  treacherous  water, 
and  as  a  propitiation  of  the  elements,  the  discharge  of 
firecrackers  and  the  beating  of  gongs  were  prosecuted 
with  more  than  usual  vigor.  Not  trusting,  however,  to 
these  preparations  alone,  our  skipper  kept  quite  close  to 
the  eastern  shore. 

Two  days  of  sailing  and  sculling  brought  us  in  sight 
of  the  southern  shore  of  the  lake.  The  season  of  high- 
water  had  begun,  and  the  level  was  gradually  rising.  A 
lofty  pagoda,  whose  base  was  washed  by  the  increasing 
waters,  served  as  a  landmark  to  guide  us  toward  the 
mouth  of  the  Siang  River.  This  pagoda  was  one  of  the 
few  left  standing  by  the  rebels  in  their  destructive  course. 
These  beautiful  towers,  which  form  the  most  character- 
istic feature  of  Chinese  landscape,  are  always  polygonal, 
and  built  with  an  odd  number  of  stories,  and  are  some- 
times nearly  two  hundred  feet  high.  The  exterior  is 
often  highly  ornamented,  and  indeed  built  with  glazed 
tiles.  The  famous  tower  at  Nanking  was  faced  with 
blocks  of  fine  porcelain.  The  walls,  always  of  great  thick- 
ness, are  built  to  last  for  ages.  Standing  in  close  con- 
nection with  the  fungshui  doctrine,  the  strongest  of  the 
Chinese  superstitions,  they  exert,  as  the  people  believe, 
a  most  powerful  influence  in  controlling  certain  supposed 
currents  in  earth  and  air,  which  are  held  to  be  important 
agents  in  modifying,  for  better  or  worse,  climate,  crops, 
health,  and  even  the  ordinary  actions  of  man.  Strangely 
enough,  one  of  the  strongest  objections  raised  by  the 


BOAT  JOURNEY  CONTINUED  237 

Chinese  against  the  introduction  of  telegraphs  and  rail- 
roads is  that  they  would  disturb  the  course  of  these  cur- 
rents, and  bring  calamities  upon  the  nation. 

The  valley  of  the  Siang-ho  (ho  means  river),  which 
we  now  entered,  lies  between  high  hills  fringed  with  the 
same  red  terraces  that  border  the  lake. 

Two  days  of  tracking  and  poling  brought  us  in  sight 
of  the  walls  of  Changsha,  the  capital  of  Hunan. 

During  the  past  few  days  we  had  several  times  been 
seriously  annoyed  by  attempjts  to  impress  our  boat  for 
soldiers  descending  the  river.  Hitherto  Mr.  Cox  had 
prevented  them  from  boarding  us  by  explaining  the  power 
of  our  passport.  But  as  we  were  slowly  moving  up  the 
river,  along  the  bank  opposite  Changsha,  a  party  of  sol- 
diers had  come  aboard  and  raised  the  imperial  flag  be- 
fore we  were  aware  of  their  presence.  In  vain  we  urged 
the  rights  guaranteed  by  our  passports.  They  insisted 
upon  keeping  the  boat.  Not  wishing  to  resort  to  force 
we  made  a  compromise,  by  which  they  agreed  to  remove 
the  flag,  while  we  promised  to  remain  moored  to  the 
bank  until  they  should  return  with  an  officer.  It  was 
clear  that  we  should  have  to  await  their  return  from  the 
city;  and  as  the  river,  owing  to  the  inundation,  was  a 
mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half  wide,  with  a  swift  current,  we 
could  hardly  expect  them  under  two  or  three  hours.  We 
moored  under  a  low  bank,  the  bow  of  the  boat  being 
connected  with  the  shore  by  a  rope  of  braided  bamboo. 

A  little  before  sunset  several  boats  loaded  with  soldiers 
made  their  way  across  the  river  and  landed  just  above 
us,  and  we  immediately  saw  that  they  had  brought  no 
officer.  Three  of  our  former  visitors  came  on  board  and 
renewed  their  demand  for  the  boat.  Mr.  Cox  met  them 
forWard,  and,  while  refusing  to  give  up  the  craft,  first 
requested  that  they  leave  and  finally  drove  two  of  them 


238  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

off ;  while  at  the  same  time,  with  the  utmost  coolness  and 
a  pistol,  he  prevented  any  more  soldiers  from  jumping 
on  board  at  the  only  place  where  the  boat  touched  the 
shore.     Till  then  an  excited  crowd  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
or  more,  villagers  and  soldiers,  armed  with  swords  and 
pikes,  had  collected  on  the  bank,  and  had  been  shouting 
out  to  those  upon  our  boat  to  kill  the  foreign  devils.     The 
remaining  one,  running  aft  along  the  platform  which  sur- 
rounded the  boat,  attempted  to  beat  in  my  cabin  door. 
Feeling  that  words  would  be  no  longer  of  use,  although 
I  was  still  too  weak  to  be  much  out  of  bed,  I  threw  the 
door  open  from  the  inside,  and,  weak  as  I  was,  gave  the 
man  a  sudden  blow  as  he  started  back,  which  sent  him 
headlong  into  the  river.     This  was  the  signal  for  a  gen- 
eral attack.     The  mob  having  neither  firearms  nor  stones, 
opened  upon  us  with  a  perfect  storm  of  lumps  of  sun- 
burnt clay.     They  were  more  successful  with  these  than 
with  their  pikes,  which  were  too  heavy  to  be  conveniently 
managed  across  the  twelve  feet  of  water  between  me  and 
the  shore;  still  it  was  not  always  easy  to  dodge  their 
thrusts,  and  not  wishing  to  be  spitted  on  such  a  weapon,  or 
to  be  beaten  to  a  jelly  by  their  missiles,  I  drew  my  revolver 
and  opened  fire  upon  the  crowd.    Unfortunately,  in  the 
confusion  of  the  moment,  I  dropped  the  pistol  overboard. 
However,  I  gpt  another  from  the  cabin,  and  reopened 
upon  the  mob,  supported  by  my  companion  at  the  bow, 
who  showed  far  more  coolness  than  I  did.     The  bullets 
caused  the  assailing  party  to  fall  back,  and  before  they 
could  return  to  the  attack  a  new  actor,  or  rather  actress, 
came  upon  the  scene  in  the  person  of  our  skipper *s  wife. 
Flourishing  an  immense  knife,  she  rushed  to  the  bow  of 
the  boat,  and  began  to  hack  away  at  the  bamboo  rope  by 
which  we  were  moored,  at  the  same  time  pouring  -forth 
such  a  torrent  of  abuse  as  can  only  flow  in  Chinese  ac- 


239 


240  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

cents  from  the  tongue  of  a  Chinese  virago.  In  the  mean- 
time the  crowd,  although  kept  at  a  distance,  made  her 
the  focus  of  a  volley  of  missiles.  She  stood  the  attack 
bravely,  never  flinching  either  from  her  work  with  her 
knife  or  from  her  torrent  of  abuse.  Clearly  the  China- 
man was  right  who  said  that  a  woman  gains  in  her  tongue 
what  she  loses  in  her  feet. 

Suddenly  the  cable  parted,  and,  yielding  to  the  current, 
the  boat  whirled  quickly  into  the  stream.  A  new  diffi- 
culty now  arose.  All  the  crew  had  jumped  ashore  and 
run  off  in  the  beginning  of  the  fight,  except  the  captain 
and  one  man,  and  these  had  hidden  below  the  deck. 

The  woman  now  turned  her  attentions  to  these.  Tak- 
ing the  lid  from  the  scuttle  she  plunged  her  hand  silently 
into  the  darkness,  and,  holding  by  the  pigtails,  dragged 
out  first  the  man,  then  her  husband.  Then  she  said 
things  that  sent  the  men  humbled  to  work. 

All  we  could  now  do  was  to  guide  our  craft  toward 
a  small  island  which  lay  about  a  mile  below  us.  It  was 
already  nearly  dark,  and  heavy  clouds  betokened  a  com- 
ing storm.  We  could  see  the  soldiers  embark  and  make 
their  way  as  rapidly  as  possible  across  the  river,  where 
we  knew  there  was  a  large  force  of  their  lawless  com- 
rades, and  from  these  we  expected  a  more  determined 
visit  during  the  night.  We  had  hardly  moored  to  the 
island  before  the  storm  came  on,  and  with  such  a  fury 
that  it  was  evident  we  should  be  safe  from  any  attack 
while  it  lasted.  It  was  almost  morning  before  the  waters 
were  quieted  enough  for  us  to  send  a  man  in  the  small 
boat  to  Changsha,  with  a  letter  to  the  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor of  the  province.  In  this  document  we  complained 
of  the  soldiers,  and  asked  for  an  escort  to  accompany  us 
up  the  river  beyond  the  city. 

Soon  after  daylight  a  boat  was  seen  coming  toward  us 


BOAT  JOURNEY  CONTINUED  241 

from  the  town.  We  watched  it  rather  anxiously  through 
our  glasses,  not  knowing  whether  it  contained  friends  or 
foes.  We  were,  however,  quite  prepared  for  the  latter, 
having  all  our  arms  spread  out,  including  even  an  old 
*'Tower  musket,"  loaded  with  revolver  balls.  The  boat, 
which  was  a  large  one,  contained  some  twenty  or  thirty 
soldiers,  among  whom  we  discovered,  to  our  relief,  three 
officers ;  one  of  them  was  the  chief  of  the  river  police. 

As  soon  as  these  were  seated  in  our  cabin,  they  in- 
formed us  that  they  had  been  sent  by  the  Lieutenant- 
Governor  to  offer  any  assistance  we  might  need.  His 
Excellency,  they  said,  had  already  received  instructions 
from  the  Viceroy  to  aid  us  on  our  journey,  and  His  Ex- 
cellency had  heard  with  the  most  profound  sorrow  of  the 
attack  made  by  lawless  soldiers  upon  the  honorable  mem- 
bers of  the  exalted  American  country,  and  of  the  exalted 
English  country.  The  soldiers,  then  on  their  way  to  Nan- 
king, were  desperadoes,  robbing  and  murdering  wherever 
they  went,  and  were  utterly  beyond  the  control  of  His 
Excellency,  or  even  of  their  own  officers.  These  visitors 
gave  us  to  understand  that  they  were  instructed  to  escort 
us  during  the  rest  of  our  trip  on  the  Siang  River;  but 
either  having  formed  an  unfavorable  opinion  of  our  com- 
missariat, or  for  some  other  reason,  they  suddenly  left 
us  a  few  miles  above  the  city,  inviting  us  to  visit  them 
on  our  return. 

During  two  days  we  continued  our  journey  upstream, 
gathering  at  every  opportunity  information  concerning 
the  coal  districts.  Many  boats  passed  us  loaded  with  coal 
from  southern  Hunan ;  but  we  observed  that  they  were  in- 
variably smaller  than  our  own  craft.  From  the  crews  of 
these  boats  we  learned  that  it  would  be  necesary  to  change 
our  means  of  conveyance,  that  even  then  we  could  hardly 
reach  the  mines  in  less  than  three  weeks,  and  that  the 


242  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

journey  would  be  attended  with  much  danger,  owing  to 
the  excitement  against  foreigners.  Finding  these  state- 
ments corroborated  at  every  step,  I  determined  to  turn 
back  at  Siang-tan,  because  all  the  boats  had  been  im- 
pressed. 

The  next  day  after  lea\ang  Siang-tan  we  came  in  sight 
of  Changsha,  and  a  dense  forest  of  masts  lining  the 
shore  for  two  or  three  miles  in  front  of  the  dty. 

Thinking  to  enter  the  town,  we  proceeded  to  look  up 
the  boat  of  the  officer  who  had  escorted  us,  and  who,  be- 
ing in  command  of  the  river  police,  lived  on  his  flagship. 
Having  found  this  and  moored  our  boat  near  by,  we  sent 
on  board  our  cards  and  compliments,  and  soon  received 
a  visit  in  return.  Our  former  guest  was  this  time  ac- 
companied by  the  chief  of  police  of  the  dty.  The  latter 
gentleman  had  just  given  orders  to  facilitate  our  visit  to 
the  Lieutenant-Governor,  when  we  became  aware  of  an 
increasing  distant  rumbling  noise.  Just  then  the  attend- 
ants of  our  visitors  rushed  in,  pale  and  exdted,  proclaim- 
ing the  approach  of  a  mob.  Opening  the  door,  our  eyes 
were  greeted  with  a  sight  which,  once  seen,  cannot  easily 
be  forgotten.  Some  ten  or  twdve  piers  of  boats  moored 
dose  together  lay  between  us  and  the  shore.  Beyond 
these  the  whole  space  between  the  dty  wall  and  the  river 
was  packed  with  men.  Evidently  the  news  of  the  coming 
of  the  fore^;n  devils  had  preceded  us  and  spread  like 
lightning.  Apparently  the  whole  male  population  of  a 
great  dty  was  pouring  out  of  the  gates.  Surging  and 
dashing  Kke  an  endless  and  many-colored  wave,  it  rolled 
down  the  sloping  bank,  and  advanced  over  the  intervening 
boats,  which  rocked  and  swayed,  threatening  to  go  down 
under  die  moving  mass  that  was  sweeping  over  them. 
From  exclamations  heard  on  every  side,  we  saw  that  the 


BOAT  JOURNEY  CONTINUED  243 

intentions  of  the  crowd  were  anything  but  friendly. 
They  seemed  many  thousand  strong.  Pale  with  anxiety 
for  us  and  for  their  responsibility  for  us,  our  visitors  hur- 
ried into  their  boat,  and,  beseeching  us  to  flee  for  our 
lives,  shot  across  the  river.  The  skipper  had  gone 
ashore,  but  without  waiting  for  him  we  made  quick  work 
in  casting  loose,  and  in  an  instant  were  whirled  into  the 
current.  We  were  none  too  soon,  for  already  a  half- 
dozen  of  the  unwelcome  visitors  had  sprung  on  board, 
and  now  to  their  great  surprise  found  themselves  pris- 
oners. Now  that  we  were  safe  we  could  look  back  with 
a  different  kind  of  interest  on  the  imposing  scene  pre- 
sented by  the  yelling  mass  of  humanity.  Our  involun- 
tary guests  protested  that  they,  as  well  as  most  of  the 
crowd,  had  been  attracted  simply  by  a  desire  to  see  the 
honorable  foreigners.  They  said,  however,  that  the  sol- 
diers were  inciting  the  crowd  to  mob  us. 

Many  lives  must  have  been  lost  in  the  frantic  rush  of 
these  thousands  over  the  boats,  and  unquestionably  the 
authorities  trembled  till  they  had  news  of  our  safety. 
There  was  nothing  that  the  Chinese  officials  feared  so 
much  as  mobs  in  large  cities.  These  disturbances  gave 
full  play  to  lawless  characters,  while  the  force  of  the  po- 
lice bore  no  proportion  whatever  to  the  necessities  of  such 
cases. 

Seeking  the  island  which  had  once  before  given  us  a 
shelter,  we  waited  till  the  return  of  the  skipper. 

Having  reentered  Tung-ting  Lake,  we  crossed  over 
to  the  mouth  of  a  river  which  communicates  through  the 
Tai-ping  canal  with  the  Yangtz'  Kiang.  We  were  soon 
again  upon  the  broad  swift  stream  of  the  Yangtz*,  or,  as 
it  is  called  in  this  part  of  its  course,  the  Kin-sha  Kiang 
—  the  river  of  golden  sand  —  a  name  derived  from  the 


244  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

gold   washings   which   occur   along   its   course   through 
Sz'chuen  and  Yunnan. 

After  an  exciting  journey  on  the  rapids  of  the  Upper 
Yangtz',  I  returned  to  Hankan  and  then  to  Shanghai. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
CHOLERA  DRIVES  ME  NORTHWARD 

Peking 

I  INTENDED  to  Sail  from  Shanghai  for  India  on  a  P.  & 
O.  steamer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Cunningham  kindly 
invited  me  to  make  their  house  my  home  in  the  meantime. 
I  found  the  foreign  society  very  interesting.  The  expe- 
rience was  also  interesting  in  other  ways,  and  instructive 
as  regards  both  the  natives  and  the  foreigners  and  their 
relations  to  each  other. 

The  European  and  American  merchants  still  controlled 
the  foreign  commerce,  and  the  great  houses  made  large 
profits.  There  were  also  great  Chinese  merchants  with  a 
high  standard  of  commercial  honor  both  among  themselves 
and  with  the  foreigner ;  the  word  of  each  was  held  to  be 
as  good  as  a  bond.  The  foreign  houses  bought  Chinese 
products  by  samples,  and  the  goods  had  the  qualities  of 
the  samples. 

Back  of  this  commercial  standard  was  the  great  moral 
check  on  which  was  based  the  whole  political,  social,  and 
domestic  organization  of  China  —  the  reverence  of  an- 
cestors. The  individual  was  responsible  for  the  family 
honor,  the  family  was  responsible  to  the  clan  and  to  the 
village.  The  son  would  face  death  rather  than  disgrace 
the  family  and  the  ancestors.  Life  insurance  companies 
refused  insurance  to  Chinamen,  because  beneficiaries 
would  commit  suicide  in  order  that  the  insurance  might 
save  the  parents  from  poverty. 

245 


246  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Qiolera  was  still  raging  and  was  now  attacking  for- 
eigners. Many  precautions  were  taken  by  my  host  and 
his  family  and  all  of  us  thought  ourselves  safe.  One 
evening  as  I  was  playing  billiards  with  Mr.  Loring  Cun- 
ningham —  brother  of  my  host  —  I  felt  some  pain,  and 
remarked  that  I  hoped  I  wasn't  going  to  have  cholera. 

Cunningham  rested  his  cue  on  the  floor  and  said: 

"  Nonsense !  You're  all  rght.  I've  been  exposed  here 
all  summer,  and  I  never  felt  better  than  now." 

In  the  morning,  at  daybreak,  Dr.  Simmons  waked  me 
—  we  had  been  friends  in  Japan. 

"  I  want  help,"  he  said.  **  I  was  called  to  see  the  but- 
ler, and  found  him  dying.  I  went  to  Loring  Cunning- 
ham's room  for  help,  and  found  him  in  collapse." 

Poor  Cunningham  was  too  far  gone  to  recognize  us. 
The  doctor  gave  me  the  necessary  instructions,  and  came 
back  often  during  the  day.  It  was  awful.  Death  I  had 
often  seen,  but  not  this  phase  of  dying.  Poor,  gentle 
Cunningham !  He  died  as  I  was  lifting  him,  at  five  that 
afternoon.  When  it  was  all  over  I  thought  how  infin- 
itely preferable  to  this  was  the  sudden  death  of  Gros- 
venor. 

I  was  still  much  run  down  as  a  sequel  to  the  fever  on 
the  upper  Yangtz*.  So  I  was  not  surprised  when,  as  soon 
as  Dr.  Simmons  came  in  after  our  friend  had  died,  he 
made  me  go  to  bed,  and  examined  me. 

"You're  not  in  a  fit  condition  to  go  south,"  he  said. 
*'  There's  a  steamer  sailing  to-morrow  to  Tien-tsin.  You 
get  out  of  here  quick,  and  go  north,  or  I  won't  answer 
for  your  life.'* 

The  next  day  I  was  taking  in  deep  draughts  of  the 
sea  air.     I  believe  Simmons  saved  my  life. 

So  after  a  sojourn  of  half  a  month  in  Shanghai  I  had 
embarked  on  a  steamer  for  Tien-tsin,  the  port  of  Peking, 


CHOLERA  DRIVES  ME  NORTHWARD     247 

and  in  due  time  sighted  the  low  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Pech- 
ili,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho.  As  we  entered  this 
river  we  passed  the  scene  of  the  terrible  slaughter  of 
English  troops  that  led  to  the  war  of  i860.  In  landing 
the  soldiers  got  stuck  in  the  mud  flat  while  exposed  to 
the  fire  from  the  shore. 

On  arriving  at  Peking  and  after  quartering  ourselves 
in  a  Chinese  inn,  I  made  my  way  to  the  American  lega- 
tion, where  I  met  with  a  kind  reception  from  our  Minis- 
ter, and  received,  both  from  him  and  from  Mrs.  Bur- 
lingame,  an  invitation  to  stop  with  them  during  my  visit. 
It  is  from  this  time  on  that  I  date  my  real  travels  in 
China,  at  least  so  far  as  traveling  means  a  study  of  the 
people.  During  this  visit,  which  was  prolonged  many 
months  beyond  my  original  intention,  I  learned  to  free 
myself  from  the  prejudices  which  every  traveler  is  apt 
to  contract  upon  the  China  coast,  and  during  my  subse- 
quent travels  to  look  upon  the  people,  with  whom  I  was 
thrown  much  in  contact,  from  a  different  standpoint. 
For  the  ability  to  do  this  I  have  to  acknowledge  my  deep 
indebtedness  to  Mr.  Burlingame,  and  to  Sir  Frederick 
Bruce.  The  broad-minded  policy  of  these  two  men,  based 
upon  justice,  and  freed  from  prejudice  of  race,  had  be- 
gun a  new  era  in  the  history  of  Eastern  diplomacy. 

While  in  Peking,  I  went  on  many  interesting  sight- 
seeing excursions  in  the  city.  I  especially  frequented  the 
curiosity  stores  and  lapidary  shops  and  the  booksellers* 
quarter.  But  of  these  things  I  have  not  the  space  to  tell 
in  this  book 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

ON  AN  IMPERIAL  COMMISSION 

In  Search  of  Coal,  I  Discovee  Chinese  Teatts  and 
Find  Adventure 

I  HAD  nearly  finished  the  necessary  preparations  for  a 
journey  homeward  through  Tartary  and  Siberia,  when, 
at  the  instance  of  Sir  Frederick  Bruce,  the  Chinese  Gov- 
ernment requested  that  I  should  undertake  the  examin- 
ation of  some*  of  their  principal  coal  fields.  In  order  to 
suppress  piracy  and  smuggling,  the  Government  had  in- 
structed Mr.  Lay,  their  Inspector-General  of  Maritime 
Customs,  who  was  then  in  England,  to  purchase  and 
send  out  a  fleet  of  gunboats,  officered  and  manned  by 
Englishmen.  Alarmed  at  the  idea  of  having  to  pay  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  dollars  a  ton  for  English  coal,  and 
knowing  that  they  had  themselves  large  deposits  of  it, 
they  decided  to  search  for  desirable  fuel  among  their 
own  mines. 

The  arrangements  were  made  over  a  lunch  at  the 
Tsungli-yamun  (Office  of  Foreign  Affairs),  with  the  offi- 
cers of  the  Board  of  Foreign  AflFairs.  The  interview, 
which  was  very  friendly,  brought  out  some  curious  ideas 
with  regard  to  geology.  Among  these  was  the  belief  in 
the  growth  of  coal  in  abandoned  mines:  everything  was 
produced  by  the  coaction  of  yin  and  yang,  force  and  mat- 
ter, the  active  and  passive,  the  male  and  female  princi- 
ples in  Nature;  and  where  surrounding  conditions  had 
once  favored  the  production  of  coal,  why  should  they 

248 


ON  AN  IMPERIAL  COMMISSION        249 

not  always  favor  it?  But  at  the  same  time  they  objected 
to  extensive  mining,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  exhaust 
the  store  on  which  future  generations-  would  be  depen- 
dent, an  inconsistency  in  reasoning  which  they  got  over 
by  saying  that  the  rate  of  growth  of  new  coal  is  not 
known. 

It  was  agreed  that  mandarins,  two  civil  and  one  mili- 
tary, should  go  with  me.  The  question  having  arisen  as 
to  how  my  name  could  be  intelligibly  written  in  Chinese, 
Tung  Ta-jin  selected  for  the  first  syllable  the  word  Pang 
as  the  nearest  approach  offered  by  the  language,  and 
wrote  it  for  me  on  a  card  in  a  character  in  which  the 
principal  element  was  the  sign  of  a  dragon.  Did  they 
think  there  might  be  some  connection  between  the  in- 
tended approach  to  foreign  innovations  and  the  clutches 
of  this  terrific  monster? 

Through  the  kindness  of  Sir  Frederick  Bruce,  Mr. 
Murray,  of  the  English  legation,  was  permitted  to  ac- 
company me,  and  much  of  the  success  which  attended  the 
excursion  was  due  to  his  excellent  knowledge  of  the  Chi- 
nese language,  as  much  of  the  pleasure  was  due  to  his 
genial  companionship. 

The  next  morning,  leaving  the  plain,  we  began  the 
ascent  into  the  mountains  through  a  valley.  Murray 
and  I,  as  well  as  Ma,  the  military  mandarin,  were  mounted 
on  strong  Tartar  horses,  while  Wang  and  Too,  the  civil- 
ians, being  more  effeminate,  were  carried  in  open  chairs. 
Ma  was  a  Mohammedan,  and  a  type  of  the  better  class 
of  Chinese  soldiers.  Easy-going  and  tolerably  frank,  he 
did  not  hesitate  to  express  his  contempt  for  the  effemin- 
acy of  the  civil  mandarins  in  general,  and  for  those  of 
our  party  in  particular.  A  few  years  later  after  he  had 
risen  to  be  Vicerory  of  Nanking,  one  of  the  highest  offices 
in  the  Empire,  he  sent  a  kind  message  to  me  by  a  mutual 


250  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

acquaintance.  Of  the  two  civil  mandarins,  Wang,  the 
elder,  was  a  tall  and  well-conditioned  man  of  about  fifty, 
well  informed  after  the  Chinese  fashion,  and  with  a  uni- 
formly pleasant  expression,  which  betokened  a  really 
kind  heart.  On  the  other  hand.  Too  was  a  type  of  the 
too  frequent  class  of  overbearing  and  "  squeezing  "  man- 
darin. His  voice  and  manner,  always  harsh,  became  pos- 
itively disagreeable  upon  the  slightest  provocation  from 
an  inferior. 

The  valley  we  were  ascendirig  was  cut  deep  into  the 
limestone,  and  shut  in  by  high  and  ragged  cliffs.  A  tol- 
erably good  road,  leading  over  a  low  pass,  brought  us  into 
another  valley  tributary  to  the  Huen-ho,  and  after  a 
short  descent  we  drew  up  at  an  inn  in  the  mountain  ham- 
let of  Tien-kiakwan. 

Before  entering  the  house  Too  called  the  landlord  to 
him  and  treated  us  to  a  characteristic  scene. 

"  What  have  you  to  eat  ?  "  demanded  Too. 

**  Boiled  millet  and  eggs,"  replied  the  landlord. 

"  What  do  you  charge  for  your  eggs  ?  " 

**Very  little  —  almost  nothing,  only  six  cash  apiece," 
was  the  reply. 

"  How  dare  you  call  that  cheap  ?  You  must  know  that 
we  are  no  ordinary  travelers.  The  Emperor  has  bought 
foreign  steamers,  and  Prince  Kung  has  sent  this  gentle- 
man to  find  coal  for  them;  therefore  you  should  let  us 
have  the  eggs  for  three  cash." 

By  this  time  Too  had  worked  himself  into  a  passion, 
and  fairly  shrieked  his  argument  into  the  ears  of  the 
host  and  of  the  gathered  crowd.  By  this  appeal  to  pa- 
triotism he  finally  succeeded  in  reducing  the  price  by,  in 
our  money,  about  one-tenth  of  a  cent  per  egg,  making  a 
gain  of  about  two  cents  on  our  bill,  to  be  divided  among 
the  pockets  of  our  escort. 


ON  AN  IMPERIAL  COMMISSION        251 

Although  within  fifty  miles  of  one  of  the  largest  cities 
of  the  world,  we  were  in  a  region  where  money  is  little 
used,  nearly  all  the  small  transactions  of  the  people  being 
effected  by  barter  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  The  cur- 
rency of  China  is  very  clumsy,  the  copper  coin  being  so 
bulky  as  to  render  its  transportation  costly,  while  the  un- 
coined silver  is  extremely  inconvenient,  as  it  is  chopped 
into  small  pieces  and  has  to  be  weighed  at  every  payment, 
while  the  scales  of  sellers  and  buyers  rarely  agree,  and 
the  legal  standards  of  weight  differ  several  times  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days*  journey.  In  Peking,  besides  the 
ordinary  cash,  there  was  a  copper  coin  of  which  the 
actual  value  was  less  than  that  stamped  upon  it.  This 
was  useless  beyond  the  walls  of  the  city.  Peking  also 
enjoyed  an  institution  which  I  had  supposed  formerly 
was  peculiar  to  the  United  States,  namely,  an  endless 
number  of  wildcat  banks  issuing  paper  currency.  Their 
notes  were  useless  out  of  town,  as  no  one  would  take 
them,  for  fear  the  bank  might  have  already  failed,  or 
that  it  might  suspend  before  the  notes  could  be  presented 
for  payment. 

We  found  the  inhabitants  of  these  mountains  a  simple- 
hearted  and  civil  people,  who  were  quite  free  from  the 
dislike  of  foreigners  which  prevails  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  South,  and  for  which  Europeans  and  Americans 
had  chiefly  themselves  to  blame.  Although  every  ounce 
of  food  that  is  gained  from  these  barren  hills  is  won  by 
the  hardest  labor,  I  saw  few  signs  of  suffering  among 
the  inhabitants.  They  are  contented  with  the  boiled  yel- 
low millet  and  a  few  vegetables,  with  now  and  then  a 
dish  of  fried  eggs,  or  a  chicken  which  has  passed  the 
prime  of  life,  whatever  that  period  may  be  in  the  time 
allotted  to  a  fowl. 

The  next  day  we  continued  our  journey  southward, 


252  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

through  a  deep  and  narrow  valley  in  the  limestone.  The 
high  and  precipitous  walls  frequently  approached  each 
other  so  closely  that  the  valley  became  a  gorge.  At  last 
we  emerged  into  the  more  open  country  of  the  Huen-ho. 
Crossing  a  high  spur,  around  which  the  river  bends,  we 
began  our  initiation  into  Chinese  mountain  paths.  Our 
road  now  lay  for  several  miles  along  the  steep  face  of 
the  mountain,  and  high  above  the  rushing  river.  The 
road,  paved  with  porphyry  boulders,  was  almost  impassa- 
ble; the  rounded  surfaces  of  the  stones  had  been  worn 
smooth  by  the  daily  passage  for  centuries  of  long  trains 
of  mules  loaded  with  coal.  On  such  a  road  a  false  step 
might  plunge  both  horse  and  rider  into  the  roaring  torrent 
below. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  at  the  inn  at  Chai-tang,  we  were 
waited  upon  by  the  magistrate  of  the  district,  from  whom 
we  obtained  a  full  list  of  the  coal  mines  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

Within  this  area  the  coal  varied  from  coking  bitumin- 
ous to  pure  anthracite.  The  seam  containing  the  Fu-tau 
mine  averaged  about  seven  feet  in  thickness,  and  pro- 
duced a  good  steam  coal.  The  Ta-tsau  or  "  great  seam," 
about  three  miles  south  of  the  Fu-tau,  consisted  of  two 
beds  separated  by  about  eight  feet  of  sandstone,  and  con- 
tained an  aggregate  thickness  of  forty-eight  feet  of  coal, 
and  was  a  deposit  of  good  anthracite. 

The  other  mines  contain  coal  of  a  more  bituminous 
character.  Each  variety  had  its  distinctive  Chinese 
name,  and  was  mined  for  some  special  purpose  in  the  do- 
mestic and  manufacturing  arts.  The  coking  varieties 
were  burned  to  coke;  and  at  every  mine  the  dust,  which 
with  us  was  thrown  away,  was  mixed  with  a  little  clay 
and  molded  into  cakes  of  artificial  fuel.  For  many  pur- 
poses,  especially   for  use  in  the  kitchen,  this  artificial 


ON  AN  IMPERIAL  COMMISSION        253 

produce  was  esteemed  more  highly  than  when  in  the 
natural  shape,  as  the  globular  form  of  the  cakes  admitted 
a  ready  draught,  while  their  composition  was  said  to  have 
enabled  the  consumer  to  control  the  rate  of  burning  much 
better  than  with  any  other  fuel. 

In  large  cities  situated  at  a  distance  from  the  mines, 
the  dust  and  cinders  of  coal  were  briquetted  by  mixing 
with  the  dung  of  cows  and  horses,  and  with  clay. 

The  absence  of  machinery  for  draining  had  prevented 
the  Chinese  miners  from  working  very  far  below  water- 
level,  and  this  point  was  soon  reached.  Aside  from  this, 
their  whole  system  was  so  defective  that  the  utmost  ca- 
pacity of  production  of  any  one  mine  in  this  district  was 
less  than  two  thousand  tons  a  year.  The  works  were 
entered  by  an  inclined  plane,  which  descended  in  the 
coal  to  less  than  a  hundred  feet  below  water-level,  where 
it  communicated  with  a  nearly  horizontal  gallery,  which, 
extending  to  the  furthest  limits  of  the  property,  formed 
the  main  thoroughfare  of  the  mine.  Though  unable  to 
work  below  this  level,  the  Chinese  miner  literally  ex- 
hausted the  fuel  lying  above  it.  By  means  of  using  in- 
clined planes  connecting  the  levels,  he  subdivided  the  seam 
into  pillars.  Ventilation  was  effected  either  by  air 
shafts  or  by  a  blowing  machine,  constructed  much  upon 
the  same  principle  as  our  fanning  mill  for  grain.  The 
timbering,  which  was  almost  confined  to  the  main  level, 
was  very  costly,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  wood.  The  ac- 
cumulating water  of  the  mine  ran  along  the  bottom  level 
to  the  foot  of  the  inclined  plane.  One  half  the  width 
of  this  slope  was  cut  out  into  hollow  steps,  four  or  five 
feet  high,  in  each  one  of  which  stood  a  man  armed  with 
a  bucket.  By  these  the  water  was  bailed  from  step  to 
step  until  it  reached  the  surface.  In  some  mines  this 
work  was  done  entirely  by  blind  men.     The  manner  of 


254  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

raising  the  coal  was  not  less  primitive  than  the  drainage, 
the  bottom  level  and  half  the  width  of  the  inclined  plane 
being  covered  with  smooth,  round  sticks,  over  which  the 
coal  was  dragged  in  sleds  by  coolies.  The  passages  had 
in  time  become  so  low  that  these  men  were  forced  to  go 
on  hands  and  knees,  dragging  the  sled  by  means  of  a  cord 
passed  around  the  neck  and  between  the  legs.  In  this 
manner  I  crawled  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  mile  into 
one  of  these  mines,  with  pads  on  my  knees.  The  fuel 
sold  at  different  mines  of  this  district  at  prices  ranging 
from  $1.70  to  $2  per  ton  —  2,000  pounds. 

After  having  finished  the  examination  of  the  Chai-tang 
district,  I  determined  to  visit  the  coal  fields  lying  at  the 
edge  of  the  great  plain,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  moun- 
tain. At  San-ki-tien  we  entered  the  coal  field  of  Mun- 
ta-kau,  which  lies  in  another  arm  or  bay  of  the  great 
plain,  and  found  that  a  temple  had  been  prepared  for  our 
reception,  and  that  many  little  things  had  been  done  to 
make  our  stay  comfortable. 

The  coal  of  this  region  was  altogether  anthracite,  and 
many  openings  had  been  made  upon  the  several  beds. 
One  mine  which  I  visited  had  been  worked  to  a  horizon- 
tal distance  of  8,500  feet.  The  seam  was  very  irregular 
in  thickness,  varying  from  a  few  inches  to  six  or  seven 
feet.  In  this  mine  one  man  could  bring  to  the  surface 
only  about  a  hundred  and  thirty-three  pounds  daily,  ow- 
ing to  the  great  loss  of  time  in  dragging  the  sled  a  mile 
and  a  half  on  hands  and  knees.  The  ventilation  was  as- 
sisted in  this  mine  by  a  very  large  fan-blower. 

Proceeding  southward,  we  skirted  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains. On  our  left  the  great  plain  stretched  away  to  the 
eastward.  From  slight  eminences  in  the  road  we  could 
see  the  gate-towers  and  pagodas  of  Peking,  and  the  triple 
roof  of  the  Temple  of  Heaven.     On  our  right  towered 


ON  AN  IMPERIAL  COMMISSION        255 

a  great  peak  of  limestone,  with  ragged  sides  and  high 
cliffs.  Here  on  the  summit,  almost  inaccessible,  except 
for  stairways  hewn  in  the  rock,  and  perched  1,500  or  more 
feet  above  the  plain,  are  the  cloisters  and  temples  of  a 


Temple  of  Heaven  at  Peking. 

Buddhist  monastery.    The  mountain  is  said  to  be  honey- 
combed with  caves. 

After  passing  limestone  quarries  that  had  been  worked 
during  centuries  we  came  to  Ta-hwei-chang,  or  great  lime 
depot.  The  walls  had  long  been  crumbling,  till  little  was 
now  left  standing.  But  dilapidated  walls  in  China  are 
not  necessarily  a  sign  of  decay  in  population  or  industry. 
As  we  proposed  to  dine  at  this  place,  we  rode  up  to  the 
principal  eating  house.  This  was  open  to  the  street,  and 
long  before  our  dinner  was  served  the  room  was  crowded 


256  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

with  the  curious  of  all  ages,  anxious  to  see,  for  the  first 
time,  and  not  only  to  see  but  to  feel  of,  the  queer  barbar- 
ians of  the  Western  seas. 

"  Go  out,  boys,"  said  Ma. 

Upon  this  the  largest  lad  in  the  crowd  turned  to  one  a 
little  smaller,  and  exclaimed : 

"  Go  out,  boy  —  go  out.    Don't  you  hear  that  the  lo-ye 
does  not  want  any  boys  here  ?  " 

But  this  one,  passing  the  injunction  to  a  still  smaller 
neighbor,  it  was  repeated  in  a  descending  scale,  till  a  little 
fellow  about  two  feet  high  picked  up  the  smallest  child 
in  the  room  and  thrust  him  into  the  street.  This  turned 
the  joke  on  us  —  always  a  disadvantage  to  a  foreigner 
in  a  Chinese  crowd.  A  traveler  who  has  command  of 
the  language,  together  with  patience  and  sufficient  wit  to 
put  the  more  demonstrative  members  of  even  a  Chinese 
mob  in  a  ridiculous  light,  has  little  to  fear,  provided  the 
crowd  is  swayed  by  no  stronger  motives  than  mere  curi- 
osity. If,  however,  he  resent  the  personal  annoyance  by 
blows,  he  places  himself  in  a  position  of  great  danger. 
An  instance  somewhat  illustrative  of  this  occurred  to  us 
in  leaving  Ta-hwei-chang.  The  whole  population  of  men 
and  boys  followed  us  through  the  streets.  From  laugh- 
ing at  each  other's  jokes  made  at  our  expense,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  open  ridicule,  and,  regardless  of  our  official  es- 
cort, began  to  hoot,  and  finally  to  throw  missiles.  Our 
situation  was  now  very  critical,  but  Murray  stopped  his 
horse,  and,  turning  to  face  the  crowd,  raised  his  hand  to 
motion  silence. 

**  O,  people  of  Ta-hwei-chang ! "  exclaimed  Murray  in 
excellent  Chinese,  "  is  this  your  hospitality  ?  Do  ye  thus 
observe  the  injunctions  of  your  sages,  that  ye  shall  treat 
kindly  the  stranger  that  is  within  your  gates?  Have  ye 
forgotten  that  your  great  teacher,  Confucius,  hath  said: 


258  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

*  What  I  would  not  that  men  should  do  to  me,  that  would 
I  not  also  do  to  men  ? '  " 

The  effect  of  this  exhortation  was  as  remarkable  as  it 
was  unexpected  by  me.  In  an  instant  the  character  of 
the  crowd  was  changed:  the  hooters  and  pelters  had 
stopped  to  hear  the  barbarian  talking  in  the  familiar 
words  of  Confucius,  the  old  men  bowed  approvingly, 
and  a  number  of  boys  jumped  forward  to  show  us  the 
way.  Imagine  a  Chinaman  quoting  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  to  a  hooting  mob  of  American  men  and  boys,  and 
the  effect. 

Before  sunset  I  found  myself  again  in  Fangshan,  but 
this  time  in  quarters  which  had  been  prepared  for  us. 

Among  the  principal  mines  which  we  visited  in  this 
neighborhood  were  those  of  Chang-kau-yii,  in  the  moun- 
tains, about  eight  miles  west  of  Fangshan.  They  belong 
to  the  family  Chang,  one  of  whose  members  was  dec- 
orated with  a  blue  button.  We  reached  this  place  about 
noon.  It  was  no  slight  undertaking  to  visit  one  of  the 
mines.  After  reaching  the  foot  of  the  inclined  plane, 
I  found  the  gallery  so  low  for  a  great  part  of  the  dis- 
tance as  to  be  passable  only  on  hands  and  knees.  After 
creeping  a  long  distance,  the  proprietor,  who  I  believe 
had  never  been  so  far  before  in  his  own  mine,  gave  out, 
and  I  continued  my  way  to  the  end,  accompanied  only  by 
the  head  miner.  I  had  little  strength  left  to  use  in  exam- 
ining the  workings,  which  were  conducted  in  the  same 
manner  as  those  already  described.  Much  timbering  was 
used,  though  chiefly  the  wood  of  fruit  trees,  etc.,  which 
cost  at  the  mine  twenty-nine  cents  per  hundred  pounds. 

It  was  a  source  of  great  wonder  to  the  Chinese,  as  it 
had  been  also  to  the  Japanese,  that  a  person  acting  under 
an  Imperial  commission,  with  authority  to  demand  the 
presence  of  all  officials  on  his  route,  should  subject  himself 


ON  AN  IMPERIAL  COMMISSION         259 

to  the  hardships  which  attend  a  personal  examination  of 
a  mine. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  at  Fangshan  we  received  an 
invitation  to  dine  with  the  magistrate  of  the  city.     As  we 
traversed  the  court  of  the  Ya-mun,  at  the  appointed  time, 
our  ears  were  greeted  with  a  sound  of  suppressed  chat- 
tering, and  we  could  see  that  all  the  chinks  of  the  sur- 
rounding windows  were  occupied  by  the  ladies  of  the 
household.     Our  host  led  us  into  a  room  where  the  table 
was  spread.     In  accordance  with  Chinese  etiquette,  he 
spent  some  time  in  persuading  each  of  his  guests  to  take 
the  head  of  the  table,  a  distinction  which  each  one  was 
bound  by  the  laws  of  politeness  to  decline.     The  host, 
then  standing  in  that  place  himself,  insisted  upon  each 
and  all  sitting  down  before  him,  which,  of  course,  was 
consistently  declined,  as  it  would  have  been  a  breach  of 
politeness  for  a  guest  to  take  his  seat  first.    The  dinner 
began  with  a  cup  of  hot  rice  wine.     The  table  was  loaded 
with  dishes,  which  were  placed  one  upon  another  in  tiers, 
forming  a  pyramid  of  Chinese  delicacies.     There  were 
soups  made  of  birds'  nests,  of  the  haliotis,  and  of  sharks' 
fins;   there   was   beche-de-mer;   there  were   stews   and 
pates;  there  were  roots  of  the  waterlily;  but  it  would 
take  too  long  to  enumerate  all  the  dishes  spread  before 
us,  each  of  which  one  was  expected  to  taste.     Great  as 
is  the  variety  of  articles  of  food  in  the  Chinese  cuisine, 
some  things  which  in  other  countries  are  considered  most 
essential  are  missed  by  the  traveler,  and  of  these  none 
more  than  butter,  bread,  and  milk.     There  is  a  kind  of 
bread  which  is  cooked  by  steam,  and  there  are  flour- 
cakes  fried  in  oil.    They  are  good,  but  are  poor  substi- 
tutes for  good  bread.    A  little  milk  is  sold,  and  women's 
milk  is  peddled  round  the  cities,  mostly  for  the  use  of 
invalids.     Foreigners  are  shy  of  patronizing  the  Chinese 


260  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

milkmen.  There  is  an  old  story  on  the  coast  that  at  a 
dinner  given  by  a  foreigner,  the  host  took  a  servant  to  task 
for  serving  no  milk  for  the  coffee. 

"  Boy  go  catchee  milk,"  said  the  gentleman.  The 
servant  disappearing,  soon  returned  with  the  answer: 
**  No  have  got." 

"What  for  no  have  got?" 

"  That  sow  have  got  too  muchee  piecee  chile  (chil- 
dren)," replied  the  boy. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

A  DISAPPOINTMENT  AND  A  JOURNEY 
DELAYED 

On  returning  to  Peking,  I  learned  at  the  American  le- 
gation that  the  Government,  abandoning  the  idea  of  or- 
ganizing a  steam  navy,  had  decided  to  send  the  flotilla 
back  to  England  to  be  sold.  This  unwelcome  news  put 
an  end  to  my  hopes  of  being  able  to  study  the  coal  fields 
of  the  more  distant  parts  of  the  Empire. 

My  winter  had  thus  far  been  spent  profitably.  I  had 
gathered  a  large  amount  of  data  bearing  on  the  geology  of 
northern  China,  to  supplement  my  observations  made  in 
the  central  part  of  the  Empire.  These  data  showed  that 
the  geology  of  this  large  region,  in  the  structure  and 
direction  of  its  mountain  ranges  and  in  the  abundance  of 
coal,  resembled  that  of  our  Appalachian  system.  Be- 
tween these  sections  remained  a  great  gap.  It  seemed 
evident  that  a  bed  of  limestone  several  thousand  feet 
thick  underlay  all  of  that  large  part  of  China,  and  came 
to  the  surface  in  the  folds  that  formed  the  mountain 
ranges. 

A  journey  made  in  the  beginning  of  winter  to  the 
Great  Wall  and  the  confines  of  Tartary  had  only  served 
to  excite  in  me  a  wish  to  penetrate  further  into  that  mys- 
terious and  then  almost  unknown  region  which  occupies 
the  great  tableland  of  Central  Asia.  My  wish  was,  first 
to  travel  as  far  west  as  possible  upon  the  plateau,  in 
order  to  gain  some  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  the  coun- 
try, and  of  the  character  and  habits  of  the  people;  and 

261 


262  RAPHAEL  PUIVIPELLY 

then,  after  getting  a  traveling  knowledge  of  the  language, 
to  try  to  reach  the  Pamirs  and  the  plains  and  valleys 
which,  lying  between  the  Celestial  Mountains  and  Him- 
alaya, were  then  supposed  to  have  been  in  the  dawn  of 
human  antiquity  the  cradle-land  of  our  race,  though  this 
is  now  a  disputed  question. 

My  preparations  for  the  long  journey  were  made,  and 
I  was  waiting  for  the  expected  monthly  mail  to  arrive. 
This  came  and  I  was  to  start  early  the  next  morning. 
During  a  walk  on  the  wall  with  St.  John  to  take  a  last 
look  at  the  beautiful  bronze  astronomical  instruments  of 
the  Jesuit  fathers  of  the  sixteenth  century,  I  had  severe 
pains.  After  dinner  Dr.  Lockhart  came  in  and  sat 
down  beside  me. 

"  You're  not  well,"  he  said.  Then  raising  the  hair 
from  my  forehead: 

**  You  won't  start  to-morrow ;  you  have  smallpox." 

Mrs.  Burlingame  had  given  me  a  small  building  with 
two  rooms,  on  the  great  court  of  the  legation.  Here  I 
lay  for  weeks  between  life  and  death.  During  two  weeks 
I  had  a  peculiar  delirium,  peculiar  in  that  I  would  have 
intervals  of  consciousness  in  which,  for  a  few  minutes,  I 
remembered  clearly  the  visions  I  had  seen.  Of  those 
awful  visions  some  are  still  distinct  in  memory.  In  one 
I  was  fleeing  around  the  world  before  a  band  of  villains. 
Once  I  overheard  their  talk,  and  learned  that  they  wanted 
to  kill  me  by  running  long  needles  through  my  ears  into 
the  brain.  Then  I  was  to  be  exhibited  in  Madame  Tus- 
saud's  wax  collection  of  great  criminals.  Just  as  the 
awful  climax  in  these  visions  approached,  I  knew  that  if 
I  could  only  open  an  eye  far  enough  to  see  the  top  of 
my  bedpost  I  would  be  all  right. 

In  the  wildest  of  all  these  visions  —  the  one  that 
haunted  me  —  I  was  on  a  horse  and  chased  by  mounted 


A  DISAPPOINTMENT  263 

Indians  along  the  crest  of  a  jagged  mountain  range. 
In  mad  flight,  springing  from  peak  to  peak  across  valleys 
and  gorges,  I  looked  back  on  a  thousand  Apaches  racing 
in  single  file.  Yelling,  hair  streaming  behind,  flourish- 
ing lances,  that  file  of  painted  devils,  sailing  through  the 
air,  was  pressing  me  close,  returning  my  pistol  shots  with 
showers  of  arrows.  At  last  a  chasm  too  broad  to  span ! 
Midway  we  fell,  my  horse  and  I ;  down  we  went  whirling 
downward.  I  looked  up;  the  Apaches,  too,  were  whirl- 
ing downward.  I  looked  down;  from  far  below  there 
arose  the  roar  of  a  mighty  torrent  dashing  over  rocks.  In- 
stant death  was  there  —  unless  I  could  screw  an  eye  open 
and  see  the  bedpost. 

The  pistol  shots  were  real.  One  morning  my  China- 
man-nurse was  missing.  His  successor  too  disappeared. 
Dr.  Lockhart  met  him  the  same  day,  and  asked  why  he 
had  left  me. 

"  Me  no  likee  that  Mellican  man,"  he  said ;  '*  he  try 
shoot  me." 

He  told  Dr.  Lockhart  that  I  had  a  pistol  and  a  big 
knife  under  my  mattress.  These  were  found.  The  re- 
volver was  nearly  empty,  the  balls  were  in  the  walls. 

In  the  last  of  these  nightmares  Commodore  Porter  had 
come  to  Peking  with  his  ship,  and  had  come  with  all  his 
retinue  to  call  on  the  Minister.  Only  the  middies  stayed 
outside.  They  thought  it  would  be  nice  to  haze  me.  So 
they  hung  me  over  a  line  and  began  to  skin  me  alive. 
How  well  I  still  remember  the  horror  of  it,  and  the  ap- 
pearance of  my  body  without  the  skin. 

Before  they  had  finished,  while  my  natural  covering 
still  hung  attached  at  the  feet,  Dr.  Lockhart  frightened 
the  middies  away. 

"  I'm  glad  to  find  you  looking  so  much  better,"  he  said 
cheerfully. 


264.  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

I  opened  an  eye.    The  doctor  was  really  there. 

**  Oh,  doctor,"  I  said,  "  how  can  you  joke,  how  can  I 
be  better  with  my  skin  gone  ?  " 

"  Wake  up,"  he  said.  "  YouVe  been  dreaming,  but 
you're  going  to  get  well." 

Then  came  many  weeks  of  convalescence.  The  doctor 
kept  me  in  strict  quarantine.  No  mother  could  have  been 
kinder  than  Mrs.  Burlingame  in  seeing  that  everything 
was  done  for  me. 

During  the  several  weeks  of  getting  well  the  quaran- 
tine gave  me  undisturbed  time  for  correlating  my  ob- 
servations in  China,  and  for  studying  the  great  volume 
of  transcripts  from  the  Chinese  literature  —  work  that  I 
had  expected  to  defer  till  my  return  to  America. 

My  friends  greeted  me  daily  through  the  closed  win- 
dows. 

At  last  the  doctor  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burlingame  and 
some  friends  came  to  release  me. 

Sir  Frederick  Bruce  invited  me  to  go  with  him  to  the 
British  legation. 

While  the  great  portal  was  opening  for  us  all  to  enter. 
Sir  Frederick  said: 

"  We  know  how  much  you  miss  your  mouflon,  so  I  have 
found  a  companion  ready  for  further  adventures,"  and 
entering  the  court  he  led  me  to  where  a  large  eagle  stood 
chained  on  a  perch. 

The  huge  bird  made  a  vicious  lunge,  and  spread  his 
great  wings.  I  don't  remember  how  I  eluded  acceptance 
of  the  gift,  or  what  became  of  the  eagle.  The  mouflon's 
eccentricities  among  mirrors  faded  before  the  possibilities 
latent  in  that  beak  and  in  those  grasping  claws. 

I  was  now  ready  to  start  on  my  delayed  expedition  to 
the  West. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 
ALONG  THE  GREAT  WALL 

I  WAS  fortunate  in  finding  in  Dr.  Pogojeff,  of  the 
Russian  legation,  a  companion  for  the  journey.  On  the 
morning  of  the  5th  of  April  we  left  the  northwestern 
gate  of  the  city.  Nearly  the  whole  of  our  first  day's 
journey  lay  over  the  road  by  which  I  had  begun  my  trip 
to  the  coal  fields. 

Long  before  we  reached  the  mountains  we  could  see 
the  dark  line  of  the  defile  which  leads  to  the  Nari-kau  pass, 
and  the  watch-towers  and  fortresses  and  walls,  winding 
from  plain  to  peak,  which  formed  the  innermost  defenses 
of  this  important  approach  to  the  capital.  In  the  evening 
we  reached  Nan-kau,  our  first  resting-place,  thirty  miles 
from  Peking.  The  next  morning,  leaving  the  plain,  we 
entered  the  narrow  valley  winding  for  several  miles 
through  a  desolate  gorge,  inclosed  by  high  walls  and 
yellow  cliflfs  of  limestone. 

After  traversing  about  two-thirds  of  the  pass,  the  way 
leaves  the  valley.  Here  ascending  by  a  difficult  road 
through  a  desolate  region  of  barren  and  shattered  masses 
of  granite,  cleft  to  their  base  by  gloomy  chasms,  we 
reached  the  summit  and  stood  in  full  view  of  the  inner 
branch  of  the  Great  Wall  of  China.  This  was  built 
about  200  B.  c,  as  a  barrier  against  the  hordes  of  Tartar 
cavalry. 

The  importance  of  this  position  led  to  its  being  well 
defended.     The  wall  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high, 

265 


ALONG  THE  GREAT  WALL  267 

built  here  of  hewn  rock,  parapeted,  well  paved  on  the 
top,  and  defended  by  towers  at  regular  intervals  of  a 
few  hundred  feet.  This  structure,  here  almost  as  per- 
fect as  when  it  was  raised  two  thousand  years  ago,  winds 
along  the  mountain  crest,  climbing  every  peak,  descending 
steep  declivities,  and  supported  at  the  edge  of  precipices 
on  bold  masses  of  masonry.  Look  where  one  will,  its 
crenulated  parapet  and  gray  towers  are  visible  in  lines 
which  apparently  double  and  redouble  on  each  other, 
now  standing  out  against  the  sky  on  the  peaks  above  us, 
or  again  winding  along  the  lower  spurs,  and  across  the 
valley  beneath  our  feet.  Only  the  parapet  is  of  brick. 
Wherever  the  wall  ascends  the  mountain  side,  its  top  is 
built  in  steps  to  aid  the  ascent  of  soldiers.  Many  of  the 
towers  are  several  stories  high,  and  are  provided  with 
loopholes  and  arched  windows. 

The  descent  to  Cha-tau  is  extremely  rough.  This  is 
an  ancient  fortress,  commanding  the  northern  approach 
to  the  pass;  and  is  surrounded  with  ruins  of  massive 
towers  and  arched  buildings. 

Here  we  entered  upon  the  first  of  a  series  of  mountain 
plains,  fringed  with  loess  terraces. 

This  remarkable  formation,  called  loess,  covers  north- 
ern China  and  the  southern  semiarid  border  of  the  Great 
Central  Asian  desert  zone. 

In  northern  China,  with  a  thickness  of  often  many  hun- 
dred feet,  this  formation  covers  valleys  and  basins,  and, 
rising  with  sweeping  curves,  mantles  the  neighboring 
mountains  to  a  height  of  several  thousand  feet.  Traffic 
on  roadways,  breaking  the  texture  of  the  earth,  prepares 
its  removal  by  wind,  and  the  road  sinks  slowly  between 
high  vertical  walls.  The  whole  thickness  of  the  loess 
formation  is  a  soil  of  extremely  fine  grain,  and  is  charged 
from  bottom  to  top  with  fertilizing  salts.     The  climate  is 


A  Roadway  Hcm-lowed  in  Loess  by  Wind  and  Weather. 

From  Richthofen's  China. 


268 


ALONG  THE  GREAT  WALL  269 

too  dry  to  leach  these  more  than  is  needed  to  nourish 
vegetation. 

Loess  is  the  basis  of  the  prosperity  of  northern  China. 
Being  a  self-fertilizing  soil,  it  is  inexhaustible. 

In  the  rest  of  China  the  yield  of  the  soil  is  wht)lly 
proportionate  to  the  amount  of  added  fertilizer,  and,  as 
there  this  comes  mainly  from  the  human  body,  the  amount 
of  human  nourishment  and  amount  of  population  are 
mutually  proportionate. 

Picking  our  way  over  the  stony  plain,  we  reached  the 
walled  town  of  Yu-lin.  It  was  already  sunset,  and  we 
rode  into  the  courtyard  of  the  first  inn  we  saw.  I  had 
hardly  dismounted  when  I  remembered  that  I  had  stayed 
one  night  at  the  same  house  on  a  former  journey.  At 
that  time  the  landlord  had  brought  to  me  his  son,  a  boy 
about  eight  years  old,  begging  that  I  would  cure  him.  I 
could  not  make  out  what  was  the  matter  with  him,  and 
should  not  have  known  had  I  been  told.  In  vain  I  in- 
sisted that  I  knew  nothing  of  medicine.  The  landlord, 
believing  all  foreigners  to  be  physicians  and  sorcerers, 
still  urged  that  I  should  cure  him.  Finding  all  protesta- 
tion useless,  I  had  left  some  simple  pills,  with  very  wise 
instructions  as  to  how  they  should  be  used.  The  incident 
had  entirely  passed  from  my  mind,  and  now  recurred 
for  the  first  time  when  I  found  myself  again  in  the  same 
inn.  *'  Heaven  protect  us !  "  I  thought,  '*  if  the  child  has 
by  any  chance  died;  for  we  shall  have  the  whole  town 
upon  us  in  a  mob."  I  thought  the  landlord  looked  very 
inhospitable  as  he  showed  us  to  our  room  at  the  head  of 
the  court.  When  he  left  I  had  begun  to  hope  that  he 
had  not  recognized  his  former  guest.  But  before  long 
the  sound  of  many  voices  was  heard,  and  the  clattering 
of  feet,  which  showed  that  the  courtyard  was  filling. 

Keeping  my  revolver  near  at  hand  I  waited,  not  with- 


270  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

out  some  anxiety,  for  whatever  might  be  coming.  Soon 
the  door  flew  open,  and  a  crowd  of  men  and  women  en- 
tered; but,  much  to  my  satisfaction,  they  were  preceded 
by  the  very  boy  in  question,  led  between  his  father  and 
mother.  The  child  and  his  relatives  immediately  went 
down  on  their  knees,  and,  knocking  the  ground  several 
times  with  their  heads,  expressed  in  warm  terms  their 
gratitude  to  the  "  honorable  and  wise  physician  "  who  had 
performed  this  wonderful  cure. 

Now  we  were  besieged  in  earnest.  The  fame  of  the 
cure  had  gone  far  and  wide,  and  it  did  not  take  long  to 
spread  through  the  pretty  large  circle  of  suffering  in- 
habitants of  Yu-lin,  the  news  of  the  arrival  of  two  doc- 
tors. During  a  good  part  of  the  night,  and  until  we  left 
the  next  morning,  our  room  was  a  hospital  for  the  blind 
and  the  halt,  the  deaf  and  dumb,  consumptives  and 
epileptics,  and  many  other  kinds  of  suffering  humanity. 
The  doctor  could  of  course  do  httle,  and  left  with  fees 
in  the  shape  of  well-earned  blessings. 

At  a  small  settlement,  the  first  place  we  had  seen  with- 
out an  inn,  we  had  much  difficulty  in  finding  quarters 
for  the  night. 

After  applying  in  vain  at  several  places  we  came  to  the 
most  respectable-looking  farmhouse,  where  we  were  also 
refused  admission.  There  being  no  other  way,  we  deter- 
mined to  take  possession.  The  farmhouse  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  large  inclosure,  with  a  gatehouse  having 
several  rooms,  and  in  one  of  these  we  established  our- 
selves. Then  came  the  efforts  to  dislodge  us.  First  ap- 
peared the  master  of  the  house,  who  politely  informed  us 
that  he  had  nothing  for  our  horses,  that  the  room  was 
occupied  by  others,  and  that  his  family  was  on  the  verge 
of  starvation.  His  well-rounded  person  and  smooth  face 
added  no  force  to  this  protest.     Then  came,  successively, 


ALONG  THE  GREAT  WALL  271 

a  number  of  men,  who  all  protested  and  entreated,  and 
finally  departed  with  threats  to  rouse  the  population  of 
the  village  against  us. 

Things  began  to  look  serious;  but  the  worst  was  to 
come.  The  shrill  tones  of  a  troop  of  women  were  heard 
crossing  the  court.  Headed  by  the  lady  of  the  house, 
they  burst  into  the  room  and  filled  it  not  only  with  their 
persons  but  with  invectives.  My  experience  on  the 
Yangtz'  River  had  taught  me  that  the  hardest  attack  to 
resist  would  be  a  troop  of  Chinese  women.  As  our  best 
and  only  ally  in  the  fight  with  the  soldiers  at  Chang-sha 
had  been  the  wife  of  our  skipper  —  the  woman  who  had 
turned  the  day  in  our  favor  —  I  now  concluded  that,  as 
we  could  not  fight  women,  we  should  have  to  give  up 
our  quarters  unless  we  could  make  the  women  fight 
for  us. 

"  Leave  this  house !  "  they  said.  "  You  are  imperti- 
nent, red-haired  foreign  devils !  "  "  You  turtles'  eggs !  " 
"  You  cross  between  a  drake  and  a  toad !  "  "  What  right 
have  you  to  come  into  people's  houses  when  you  are  not 
wanted  ?  " 

It  was  certainly  not  easy  to  answer  invocations  made 
with  so  much  earnestness.  Opening  our  bag  of  silver,  I 
rolled  out  the  large,  rough  lumps  of  the  metal,  and,  dis- 
playing them,  said  through  our  Chinaman  to  her  who 
seemed  to  be  the  mistress : 

*'  Madam,  we  wish  to  take  nothing  by  force.  We  want 
little,  will  pay  liberally  for  what  we  get,  and  leave  in  the 
morning." 

The  sight  of  the  money  had  a  soothing  effect,  and 
removed  us  from  the  suspicion  of  being  lawless  charac- 
ters. The  old  woman  then  in  a  softer  tone  informed  us 
that  the  room  we  were  in  belonged  to  her  son,  who  was 
an  "  unfortunate." 


272  .     RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

**  What  is  the  matter  with  him?  "  I  asked. 

The  answer  was  given  by  a  bystander,  who  informed 
us  that  the  young  man  was  an  idiot,  who  spent  all  his 
time  in  wandering  about  the  country  gathering  pieces  of 
stones.  I  carefully  shoved  the  geological  specimens 
which  I  had  collected  that  day  under  a  blanket. 

Pointing  to  the  doctor  I  said  to  the  mother :  **  My 
good  woman,  this  gentleman  is  a  physician,  and  may  be 
able  to  help  your  son." 

The  effect  was  immediate.  The  old  woman  bounded 
from  the  house,  and  soon  returned,  followed  by  a  young 
man,  a  hopeless  idiot. 

The  doctor  told  the  mother  that  it  was  a  case  beyond 
his  power,  and  that  he  could  do  nothing.  He.  patted  the 
"  unfortunate "  gently  on  the  forehead,  and  from  that 
moment  the  poor  fellow  insisted  upon  staying  near  his 
new  acquaintance,  every  minute  motioning  to  the  doctor 
to  put  his  hand  again  upon  his  head.  This  gentle  treat- 
ment won  the  heart  of  the  mother,  and  through  her  of 
every  one  in  the  house.  Our  horses  were  stabled,  and  a 
bountiful  supper  soon  appeared. 

The  next  morning  we  found  ourselves  besieged  by  all 
the  suffering  population  of  the  surrounding  country. 
The  quiet  farmhouse  seemed  suddenly  transformed  into 
a  temporary  dispensary  for  every  form  of  disease.  The 
patients  were  accompanied  by  friends,  and  in  the  tender- 
ness and  sympathy  shown  by  these  I  read  a  phase  of  the 
Chinese  character  for  which  foreigners  have  never  given 
credit  to  this  phlegmatic  race.  The  doctor  did  what  he 
could  by  confining  himself  chiefly  to  diseases  of  the  eye, 
for  which  he  had  brought  remedies. 

The  people  of  the  house  showed  their  gratitude  by 
steadily  refusing  pay,  while  others  overtook  us  on  our 


ALONG  THE  GREAT  WALL  273 

way  bringing  offerings  in  the  form  of  oats  or  hay,  which 
they  forced  us  to  accept. 

When,  after  an  absence  of  six  weeks,  we  returned  to 
Peking,  I  felt  that  the  time  had  come  for  me  to  leave 
China  permanently.  Mr.  Burlingame  and  Sir  Frederick 
Bruce  suggested  that  I  might  well  remain  in  China  and 
enter  the  Customs  Service.  I  might  probably  have  a 
salary  of  $12,000.  In  one  sense  the  suggestion  was 
tempting.  The  Customs  Service  had  been  established 
under  the  direction  of  able  Englishmen,  and  Robert  Hart 
was  then  its  head.  The  members  were  all  carefully 
selected  men,  largely  from  the  English  universities. 
However,  I  preferred  to  live  my  life  and  career  in  my 
own  land. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
FROM  PEKING  TO  NAGASAKI 

A  Queer  Adventueer 

It  was  now  the  middle  of  May,  and  the  season  was 
already  advancing  beyond  the  period  of  comfortable 
traveling  through  the  Indian  Ocean  and  Egypt.  This 
was  the  route  I  had  chosen,  after  failing  to  find  a  com- 
panion for  a  journey  through  Siberia.  Taking  leave  of 
my  many  kind  friends  at  Peking,  I  set  out  on  horseback 
for  Tung-chau  on  the  Pei-ho.  The  distance  is  only  about 
twelve  miles  over  the  granite  causeway  that  connects  this 
port  with  the  capital;  but  I  lengthened  the  time  of  the 
ride  by  lingering  at  the  bridge  of  Pa-li-kiao,  the  site  of 
one  of  the  last  battles  in  i860,  where  the  Tartar  cavalry, 
with  miserable  weapons,  made  a  most  desperate  resis- 
tance against  the  allied  forces. 

At  Tung-chau  I  found  my  baggage  already  on  board 
the  boat,  which  had  been  engaged  by  my  temporary  com- 
panion, a  young  missionary. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  reader  to  have  a 
slight  sketch  of  this  person,  whom,  though  in  no  un- 
friendly spirit,  I  must  call  a  religious  adventurer.  While 
yet  a  boy,  feeling  himself  called  upon  to  become  a  mis- 
sionary, he  started  without  any  credentials  and  without 
having  been  ordained.  Enlisting  as  a  marine,  he  went 
with  the  United  States  squadron  to  Japan,  and  there, 
leaving  the  service,  began  studying  the  language.     Having 

274 


FROM  PEKING  TO  NAGASAKI  275 

no  means  of  support,  he  opened  a  tailor  shop,  and  man- 
aged to  eke  out  a  subsistence,  although,  as  I  know  by  sad 
experience,  he  was  apt  to  make  one  leg  of  a  pair  of 
trousers  shorter  than  the  other. 

Failing  in  his  attempt  to  convert  the  Japanese,  he  be- 
came a  merchant  and  failed  again,  owing  a  large  amount, 
in  an  attempt  to  overstock  the  China  market  with  lumber. 
Determined  again  to  become  a  missionary,  in  a  new  field, 
he  went  to  Shanghai,  and  failing  there  to  get  a  passport 
for  the  interior,  proceeded  to  Peking. 

During  this  time  he  had  learned  a  little  Chinese,  and 
had  determined  to  spread  the  gospel  in  the  most  inac- 
cessible provinces  of  the  West.  He  had  obtained  his 
passport,  and  was  now  on  his  way  to  Tien-tsin,  the  start- 
ing point  of  his  journey.  He  complained  bitterly  that 
he  had  been  snubbed  by  all  the  missionaries  at  Peking, 
who  had  even  refused  to  allow  him  to  pray  in  their 
evening  meetings.  On  our  boat  journey,  whether  asleep 
or  awake,  he  talked  constantly,  and  always  in  Scriptural 
quotations,  denouncing  the  missionaries  as  "  sons  of 
Belial,"  or  complaining  of  his  money  losses,  or  yet  calling 
down  vengeance  upon  the  Chinese  if  they  should  hesitate 
to  receive  his  "  glad  tidings  joyfully." 

A  monomaniac,  he  was  about  to  undertake  entirely 
alone  one  of  the  most  difficult  journeys  on  the  globe,  and 
was  going  undisguised  through  regions  where,  at  the 
time,  even  the  Catholic  missionaries  could  hardly  pene- 
trate when  disguised  and  always  surrounded  by  their 
converts.  I  left  him  at  Tien-tsin,  after  giving  him  my 
camp  outfit,  confidently  expecting  that  he  would  never 
again  be  heard  from. 

"  I  am  going  to  spread  the  Word  of  God  in  every  de- 
partment of  every  province  of  China,"  he  said. 

Several  years  later  he  came  to  see  me  in  America. 


276  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

When   I    showed   surprise   at    his   having   come   safely 
through  his  proposed  journey,  he  exclaimed: 

"  I  have  done  the  work.  I  have  been  beaten  and 
bruised  and  cut;  I  have  been  left  for  dead;  but  I  have 
left  the  Word  of  God  in  nearly  every  department  of  al- 
most every  province  in  that  heathen  land.  And  now  if 
they  don't  accept  it,  there  isn't  any  reason  why  they 
shouldn't  be  eternally  damned !  " 

His  method  of  spreading  the  "  Word  "  was  to  leave  a 
leaf  of  the  Bible  in  each  place! 

His  career  was  remarkable.  Starting  with  a  cartload 
of  Bibles,  he  traveled  across  Chi-li  and  Shan-si  to  the 
Yellow  River.  Here,  coming  upon  the  line  of  engage- 
ment between  the  Imperialist  troops  and  the  Mohamme- 
dan rebels,  he  was  arrested  by  the  former,  and  sent  in  a 
boat  down  the  river  to  the  seacoast.  Not  daunted  by  this 
rebuff,  he  started  from  Canton  with  another  load  of 
Bibles,  and  traveling  through  the  southern  provinces  of 
China  penetrated  into  the  almost  inaccessible  region  of 
Yun-nan,  where  he  barely  escaped  death  in  several  at- 
tacks of  banditti. 

The  last  time  that  I  heard  of  him,  he  was  circulating 
petitions  through  the  United  States  for  the  pardon  of 
Jefferson  Davis. 

The  monotony  of  the  voyage  to  Shanghai  was  relieved 
by  one  of  my  many  narrow  escapes.  I  was  the  only  pas- 
senger. One  evening  as  I  sat  smoking  with  the  captain 
he  leaned  forward  saying :  '*  I  smell  smoke."  I  pointed 
to  a  cigarette  burning  among  some  paper  in  a  spittoon. 
After  a  short  time  the  captain  exclaimed :  "  There  is 
fire,"  and  rushed  to  his  room  which  opened  from  the 
saloon.  And  there  was  fire!  In  the  rolling  of  the  ship 
a  towel  swinging  back  and  forth  had  caught  on  fire  from 
a  lamp.     The  fire  had  spread  to  the  curtains  around  the 


FROM  PEKING  TO  NAGASAKI  277 

bed  and  from  there  to  the  many  rolls  of  charts  on  the 
racks  under  the  ceiling.  All  were  ablaze  and  no  time  to 
call  for  help. 

The  captain  tore  down  the  slender  racks,  covered  the 
charts  with  blankets  and  stamped  on  them.  I  threw 
water  on  burning  woodwork,  and  trod  the  fire  out  of  the 
remnants  of  curtains.  It  was  a  close  shave.  What  was 
left  of  trousers  between  us  didn^t  count;  our  skin  would 
heal;  but  the  ship  was  saved. 

When  I  arrived  at  Shanghai  my  friend,  Mr.  Thomas 
Walsh,  offered  to  make  the  journey  homeward  with  me 
through  Tartary  and  Siberia  in  the  early  autumn,  a  prop- 
osition which  I  eagerly  accepted,  as  it  was  already  late 
for  the  journey  via  India.  Therefore  I  accepted  his  in- 
vitation to  pass  the  summer  of  1864  at  the  house  of  his 
brother,  Mr.  John  G.  Walsh,  in  Nagasaki. 

Unfortunately,  Japan  was  at  this  time  shaken  from 
north  to  south  by  its  internal  and  foreign  troubles,  rend- 
ering it  impossible  for  me  to  travel.  But  under  the  hos- 
pitable roof  of  my  host  the  summer  passed  away  pleas- 
antly. Its  quiet  was  broken  only  by  the  news  of  distant 
battles,  and  the  rumors  of  threatened  attacks  upon  the 
foreign  settlements. 

The  poHtical  troubles  rendering  it  impossible  for  Mr. 
Walsh  to  leave  his  affairs,  the  time  of  our  departure  was 
delayed  until  well  on  in  October.  In  the  meantime  we 
made  extensive  preparations  for  a  winter  journey  through 
a  country  of  whose  resources  we  knew  nothing. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 
ON  THE  TABLE-LAND  OF  CENTRAL  ASIA 

With  a  Caravan  of  Taetaes 

At  last  we  bade  good-by  to  Mr.  J.  G.  Walsh  and  other 
good  friends,  and  sailed  out  of  the  bay. 

After  a  period  of  delightful  weather  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  Korean  island  of  Quelpart,  and  entered  the  Yellow 
Sea. 

During  several  days  nothing  of  interest  occurred,  ex- 
cepting that  the  sea  seemed  ahve  with  immense  numbers 
of  medusae.  The  great  disks  of  these  animals,  of  two 
feet  and  more  in  diameter,  were  everywhere  visible,  float- 
ing like  drab  umbrellas  near  the  surface,  and  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  penetrate  the  water.  The  vessel  often  cut 
a  way  through  great  masses  of  them,  leaving  hundreds  of 
their  broken  forms  in  its  wake. 

For  days  we  passed  through  this  immense  shoal  of 
jelly-fish,  which  must  have  covered  an  area  of  hundreds 
of  square  miles. 

We  were  not  deprived  of  an  opportunity  to  study  the 
habits  of  animal  life  within  the  walls  of  our  vessel.  The 
brig  had  been  for  a  long  time  in  the  tropics,  and  had  be- 
come thoroughly  infested  with  cockroaches.  They 
seemed  to  rival  in  numbers  the  medusae  outside ;  the  floor, 
the  ceiling,  and  the  berths  swarmed  with  them.  After 
throwing  several  bushels  of  them  into  the  sea,  we  were 
forced  to  conclude  that,  in  so  doing,  we  only  made  room 

278 


THE  TABLE-LAND  OF  CENTRAL  ASIA     279 

for  fresh  and  more  hungry  swarms  from  the  hold.  They 
were  always  first  at  table,  turning  up  in  every  article 
of  food,  and  sure  to  appear  upon  the  most  delicate  mor- 
sels. 

I  had  often  heard  that  their  favorite  amusement  was 
to  gnaw  off  the  toe-nails  of  sailors ;  and  indeed,  after  my 
experience  on  this  journey,  I  am  ready  to  believe  any- 
thing of  them,  even  the  assertion  that  they  form  the  prin- 
cipal ingredient  in  India  soy,  as  they  certainly  were 
largely  represented  in  our  food. 

A  violent  storm  prevented  our  rounding  the  promontory 
of  Shan-tung,  and  drove  us  north  between  the  coast  of 
Korea  and  the  peninsula  of  Lian-tung,  where  we  lay  for 
several  days  before  we  could  enter  the  Gulf  of  Pechili 
and  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho.  At  last  we  disem- 
barked at  Tien-tsin  and  forwarded  our  supplies  by  boat  to 
Peking,  making  the  journey  ourselves  on  horseback. 

At  the  capital  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  make  an  addi- 
tion to  our  party  in  the  person  of  Mr.  St.  John,  Secretary 
of  the  English  legation.  While  waiting  for  the  prepara- 
tions which  our  new  companion  had  to  make  we  passed 
our  time  in  getting  carts,  which  we  had  enlarged  to  admit 
of  sleeping,  c^nd  in  having  our  clothes  lined  with  fur. 
General  Vlangali,  the  Russian  Minister,  kindly  placed  a 
Cossack  at  our  service  for  the  journey,  besides  supplying 
us  with  numerous  letters  of  introduction  for  Siberia. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  November,  1864,  we 
left  the  hospitable  gates  of  Mr.  Burlingame's  house,  to 
set  out  upon  our  long  journey  across  the  table-land  of 
central  Asia,  and  through  Mongolia,  Siberia  and  Rus- 
sia, countries  of  which  no  one  of  our  party  spoke  the 
languages. 

As  the  gorge  of  Nankau  is  impassable  for  carts,  we 
had  ours  taken  to  pieces  and  packed  upon  mules,  as  were 


280  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

all  our  supplies  and  baggage ;  it  was  quite  a  ride  from  the 
rear  to  the  front  of  our  long  and  straggling  caravan. 
Stopping  the  first  night  at  Sha-ho,  we  made  an  early  start 
next  morning,  but  before  reaching  Nan-kau  Walsh's 
horse  fell  and  sprained  the  ankle  of  his  rider  so  badly 
that  I  feared  we  should  have  to  give  up  the  journey  at  its 
first  stage,  or  take  my  friend  back  and  leave  him  at 
Peking.  But  not  daunted  at  the  idea  of  making  almost 
the  longest  land  journey  on  the  globe  in  a  crippled  condi- 
tion, and  disregarding  present  pain,  Walsh  insisted  upon 
being  carried  in  a  chair  to  Kalgan,  where  our  carts  were 
to  begin  their  work. 

At  Nan-kau  Walsh  bought  a  wooden  chair,  which, 
slung  between  two  poles  and  carried  by  strong  men, 
formed  a  very  convenient  means  of  traveling. 

Four  days*  journey  from  Peking  brought  us  to  Kalgan. 
Here  we  were  detained  four  days  in  perfecting  a  contract 
with  the  Mongols,  who  were  to  take  us  to  Kiachta.  As 
we  were  bearing  despatches,  the  Chinese  Government  had 
given  us  passports  for  Tartary,  without  which  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  obtain  either  guides  or  camels. 
On  the  2ist  of  November,  1864,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  we  left  Kalgan  in  a  heavy  snpwstorm.  The 
ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  plateau  being  too  steep  for 
camels  to  draw  the  carts,  this  work  was  done  by  horses 
as  far  as  Borotsedji,  which  we  reached  at  daylight,  having 
slept  in  our  carts.  Here  we  found  our  camels,  twenty-six 
in  number,  including  those  taken  as  reserves  in  case  of 
accident. 

The  first  work  was  the  organization  of  the  caravan ;  the 
carts,  of  which  there  were  four,  one  for  each,  including 
Peter  the  Cossack,  were  intended  for  sleeping-places,  as 
it  was  our  intention  to  travel  seventeen  hours  out  of  the 
twenty-four,  stopping  only  once  to  eat.    The  vehicles, 


THE  TABLE-LAND  OF  CENTRAL  ASIA     281 


mounted  on  two  wheels  and  without  springs,  were  less 
than  three  feet  wide  and  about  seven  in  length,  and  were 
covered  with  a  housing  of  felt.  They  were  closed  with 
a  door  on  one  side,  and  furnished  with  abundant  blankets 
and  furs,  and  fitted  with  pockets  without  number.  The 
long  shafts  in  front  were  slung  in  loops  suspended  from 
the  saddle  of  the  camel,  and  a-  guide  mounted  on  another 
animal  accompanied  each  cart.    The  baggage  was  packed 


Prince. 


Mongolian  types. 


Cameleer. 


on  eight  or  ten  other  camels,  each  animal  having  its  nose 
pierced  and  fastened  by  a  cord  to  the  saddle  of  the  one 
before  it,  the  foremost  being  led  by  a  mounted  cameleer. 
Tied  to  the  back  of  each  cart  walked  a  sturdy  Mongol 
pony  always  saddled  and  ready  to  be  mounted. 

The  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  plateau,  here  between 
five  and  six  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  brought  us  into 
a  region  of  intense  cold,  which  was  rendered  almost  un- 
supportable  by  a  strong  north-northwest  wind.  The 
thermometer,  which  at  Kalgan  had  ranged  near  the  freez- 
ing point,  stood  here  at  4°  F. 

The  wind,  having  a  clear  sweep  over  the  plains  lying 
between  us  and  the  Arctic  region,  blew  with  unbroken 
force,  obliging  us  to  take  shelter  in  the  carts  while  the 


282  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

preparations  were  being  made  for  starting.  Finally, 
when  all  was  ready,  the  cameleers,  enveloped  in  masses 
of  sheepskin  robes,  mounted  their  animals  and  formed  into 
line.  During  the  first  two  or  three  days  our  whole  time 
was  occupied  in  endeavoring  to  find  the  best  means  to 
keep  from  freezing  to  death,  a  fate  against  which  I  saw 
we  had  not  taken  sufficient  precaution.  After  we  were 
for  hours  in  the  carts,  there  would  be  not  more  than  three 
or  four  degrees  difference  between  the  inner  and  outer 
temperature.  Although  the  vehicles  were  an  excellent 
defense  against  the  wind,  woolen  blankets  and  furs  be- 
came so  cold  that  it  was  painful  to  touch  them  with  the 
naked  hand.  It  was  not  until  the  fourth  day  of  our 
caravan  journey  that  we  were  able  to  summon  courage  to 
face  the  fierce  wind  and  clear  cold.  Sometime  during  the 
first  night  our  route  emerged  from  the  flat-topped  hills  of 
the  volcanic  region  of  the  plateau,  and  entered  a  country 
of  gravelly  plains,  crossed  by  low  granite  ridges.  Feeling 
a  necessity  for  exercise  we  mounted  our  Tartar  horses, 
and,  leaving  the  caravan,  galloped  in  the  direction  of  a 
small  column  of  smoke  rising  from  the  neighboring  hills. 
Reaching  the  top  of  a  small  eminence  we  saw  in  the  valley 
beneath  us  a  collection  of  yurts,  from  which  herds  were 
moving  away  to  graze.  A  loud  and  fierce  barking  of 
dogs  showed  that  we  were  already  discovered,  and  as  we 
approached  the  encampment  a  score  of  these  savage 
brutes  offered  us  battle,  and  we  should  certainly  have 
been  worsted  had  not  their  masters  come  to  our  rescue. 

I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  bring  an  empty  bottle 
and  a  paper  of  needles,  which  we  immediately  presented 
to  the  good  woman  of  the  tent.  We  had  not  long  to  wait 
for  her  gratitude.  Putting  a  cauldron  over  the  fire,  she 
threw  in  some  mutton  fat,  and  after  this  had  melted, 
poured  in  a  quantity  of  water,  to  which,  as  soon  as  it 


THE  TABLE-LAND  OF  CENTRAL  ASIA     283 

had  begun  to  boil,  was  added  a  liberal  quantity  of  brick 
tea  with  salt  and  small  pieces  of  the  fat  of  a  sheep's  tail. 
When  this  was  done,  and  a  handful  of  parched  millet 
sprinkled  over  the  surface,  the  good  woman  served  it  up 
in  lacquered  wooden  cups,  putting  into  each  one  a  lump 
of  cheese,  about  the  size  of  an  egg.  We  stood  almost 
aghast  at  the  hospitable  offering  called  forth  by  our 
presents:  a  decoction  of  tallow,  tea,  fat,  salt,  and  cheese 
is  certainly  a  formidable  compound  for  a  Western  palate. 
But  in  spite  of  the  way  we  reviled  the  mixture,  in  a  lan- 
guage fortunately  unintelligible  to  our  hostess,  the  cups 
were  repeatedly  filled  and  as  often  emptied.  Before  we 
had  left  Mongolia,  this  Tartar  tea  had  really  become  a 
favorite  beverage  with  all  of  us. 

When  we  came  up  with  our  caravan  we  found  it  already 
encamped,  and  we  began  cooking  our  single  daily  meal. 
We  were  in  the  habit  of  stopping  about  an  hour  before 
sunset,  to  give  the  animals  a  rest  of  six  or  seven  hours 
out  of  the  twenty-four. 

One  large  tent  answered  for  the  whole  party.  In  the 
middle  the  Mongols  put  up  their  tripod  and  cauldron, 
and  another  fireplace  for  our  own  cooking.  We  now 
spread  over  the  country,  one  party  in  search  of  snow, 
the  other  to  forage  for  argols  (dried  camel  dung)  for 
fire.  It  was  not  always  an  easy  matter  to  find  enough  of 
either  of  these  necessary  articles  for  cooking.  Soups 
were  our  great  forte;  to  this  all  our  energies  were  di- 
rected, and  it  was  made  the  subject  of  experiments.  Ob- 
taining a  kettle  of  water  by  melting  snow,  we  first  put 
into  it  such  frozen  vegetables  as  we  had  brought  from 
Kalgan,  and  then  such  fresh  meat  —  mutton,  horse,  or 
cow  —  as  we  could  get  from  the  Mongols,  without  being 
overscrupulous  as  to  the  manner  of  its  death.  Adding 
to  these  a  pound  or  so  of  fat  of  the  sheep's  tail,  allowing 


284  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

the  whole  to  cook,  we  put  into  the  cauldron  one  tin  each 
of  peas^  beans,  ox-tail  soup,  mock-turtle  soup,  frankfort 
sausages,  salmon,  and  tomatoes.  How  this  compound 
would  taste  in  civilization  it  would  be  hard  to  say ;  but  no 
dinner  at  the  Trois  Freres,  or  at  Delmonico's,  ever  dis- 
appeared with  greater  relish  than  these  four  o'clock  meals 
on  the  steppes  of  Tartary.  And  they  were  well  earned, 
for  although  we  had  to  work  hard  in  cooking  them,  we 
often  had  to  work  still  harder  to  keep  from  freezing  while 
eating  them.  The  tent  offered  slight  protection  against 
the  cold  winds,  and  the  argol  fires  gave  no  warmth  at  the 
distance  of  a  few  inches. 

As  it  was  only  by  rare  accident  that  we  were  able  to  get 
a  cup  of  Mongol  tea  in  the  morning,  we  studied  various 
methods  of  keeping  coffee  in  a  fluid  state  during  the  night. 
The  day  of  the  thermos  bottle  was  still  nearly  half  a 
century  off.  So  each  of  us  took  a  bottleful  of  boiling 
coffee  and  rolled  it  carefully  in  a  large  blanket;  then, 
thrusting  the  precious  bundle  under  his  fur  cloak,  each 
man  rushed  to  his  cart,  and,  diving  under  the  bedclothes, 
carefully  hugged  his  charge  all  night.  Even  a  baby  could 
not  have  been  treated  more  tenderly.  In  this  way  we 
generally  succeeded  in  having  a  bottle  of  iced  coffee  on 
awakening  in  the  morning;  but  woe  to  the  unhappy  man 
made  restless  by  an  over-hearty  dinner.  His  neglected 
bottle,  to  which  he  looked  for  consolation,  would  be 
frozen,  perhaps  burst,  or,  at  the  very  best,  the  coffee  was 
a  mass  of  needles. 

After  traveling  several  miles  in  a  valley  we  arose  to 
the  table-land  on  the  opposite  side.  The  country  was 
here  rolling,  and  evidently  well  covered  with  grass  in 
summer.  Hardly  had  we  put  up  a  tent  before  a  number 
of  women  and  children  appeared  with  baskets  of  argols, 


THE  TABLE-LAND  OF  CENTRAL  ASIA     285 

which  they  gave  to  our  cameleers.  The  children  had 
several  strings  of  agates,  which  they  parted  with  for  some 
pieces  of  brick  tea.  The  gift  of  the  argols  was  not 
prompted  by  pure  hospitality,  as  I  had  supposed. 

While  our  Mongols  were  cooking  their  mess,  the  new- 
comers sat  with  eager  eyes  just  inside  the  door  of  the 
tent.  Our  cameleers  had  a  cauldron  filled  with  large 
pieces  of  beef,  which  I  strongly  suspected  of  having  be- 
longed to  the  frozen  carcass  of  a  cow  we  had  passed  that 
morning.  Almost  before  the  meat  was  warmed  through 
our  men  seized  enormous  pieces,  and  began  the  meal  by 
cramming  into  the  mouth  as  much  of  one  corner  of  the 
piece  as  could  be  got  in,  and  then  sawing  off  the  rest  just 
outside  the  lips.  Their  throats  seemed  made  of  India 
rubber,  so  rapidly  did  one  large  piece  disappear  after  an- 
other. 

Indeed  it  is  hard  to  understand  why  the  Tartars  are 
endowed  with  molars.  Altogether  carnivorous,  they  used 
their  teeth,  so  far  as  I  could  discover,  only  for  tearing 
off  their  food.  Although  most  Mongols  carry  a  pair  of 
chop-sticks  slung  in  their  girdles,  they  can  only  be  for 
ornament,  as  I  certainly  never  saw  them  use  them.  In 
cooking,  no  part  of  the  animal  is  lost,  and  they  are  not 
over-regardful  of  cleanliness  in  preparing  their  meat  for 
the  pot. 

Every  now  and  then  our  chief  cameleer,  taking  from 
the  cauldron  a  piece,  generally  one  of  the  poorest,  tossed 
it  across  the  tent  to  the  ravenous  assemblage  of  women 
and  children. 

This  man  was  a  Lama,  and  had  traveled  not  only 
through  Tartary  and  northern  China,  but  had  been  to  the 
shrine  of  Tsongkaba,  and  had  knelt  before  the  Grand 
Lama  at  Lhassa.    Fat,  and  with  as  jolly  a  face  as  even 


286  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

a  priest  could  wish,  our  good-natured  Lama,  while  telling 
the  beads  of  his  rosary,  or  repeating  the  monotonous  Bud- 
dhist formula,  wore  an  expression  of  most  perfect  con- 
tentment and  might  have  sat  as  model  for  a  statue  of 
Buddha  in  Nirvc^na, 


CHAPTER  XL 

JOURNEY  ON  THE  TABLE-LAND  CON- 
TINUED 

Tartae  Sheep  and  the  Camel.  Peaying  by 
Machineey 

One  morning  we  saw  a  herd  of  antelopes  quietly  graz- 
ing in  the  valley  below  us ;  but  we  being  to  windward  they 
scented  us,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight.  After  a  further 
ride  of  two  or  three  miles  we  came  upon  the  object  of 
our  search,  which,  instead  of  being  a  large  village,  con- 
sisted of  only  two  or  three  yurts.  Still,  we  breakfasted 
luxuriously  on  Tartar  tea  and  lumps  of  boiled  fat  of 
sheeps'  tails.  This  part  of  the  Tartar  sheep  is  considered 
a  great  delicacy  through  all  Asia,  and  is  really  almost  equal 
to  marrow.  The  tail  of  this  animal  in  Tartary  attains  a 
weight  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  pounds,  all  pure  fat.  Seen 
from  behind,  the  animal  is  all  tail;  and,  when  the  ap- 
pendage attains  its  largest  dimensions,  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  attach  a  contrivance  by  which  the  animal  can 
conveniently  carry  his  own  tail  without  allowing  it  to 
drag.  This  is  sometimes  effected  by  a  couple  of  sticks 
fastened  at  one  end  to  the  sheep,  and  spread  out  at  the 
other,  dragging  upon  the  ground  while  supporting  the 
tail.  This  growth  of  fat  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  the 
table-land,  for  it  is  said  that  the  same  breed,  when  taken 
to  India,  soon  loses  the  peculiarity.  It  may  perhaps 
serve  the  same  purpose  as  the  hump  of  the  camel,  that  of 

287 


288  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

supplying  in  time  of  plenty  an  abundant  store  of  fat, 
upon  which  the  animal  can  subsist  through  a  season  of 
deep  snow,  when  it  would  otherwise  starve. 

When  the  English  troops  occupied  Afghanistan  the  sol- 
diers became  so  partial  to  the  tails  of  these  sheep  that 
they  almost  entirely  discarded  the  meat.  The  result  was 
a  congestion  of  fat  in  the  intestines,  which  caused  mortal- 
ity in  the  army.  Fortunately,  as  our  stay  was  short,  we 
had  not  heard  of  this  fact  when  we  traveled  in  Tartary. 

At  Goshun  we  bought  of  the  good  woman  of  the  tent 
a  liberal  supply  of  cream,  put  up  like  immense  sausages. 
As  it  was  frozen  it  was  easily  carried,  slung  to  the  saddle, 
without  danger  of  being  churned  into  butter. 

We  were  obliged  to  go  into  camp  several  hours  earlier 
than  usual,  in  order  to  wait  the  return  of  our  chief 
cameleer,  who  had  gone  to  hunt  for  two  camels  which  had 
strayed  away. 

Although  secured  by  strings  passed  through  the  nose, 
the  camel  will  sometimes  tear  out  the  flesh,  and,  once 
away  from  the  caravan,  will  often  give  his  pursuer  a  good 
chase.  Still,  the  Tartar  or  Bactrian  camel  is  far  more 
docile  than  his  brother  of  Egypt  and  southwestern  Asia. 
Much  larger  than  the  Southern  camel,  he  is  provided  with 
a  heavy  coat  of  long  hair,  and  with  two  humps,  which, 
after  a  season  of  grazing,  stand  great  cones  of  fat  upon 
his  back,  forming  the  most  comfortable  of  saddles. 

Most  people  are  accustomed  to  associate  the  camel  only 
with  tropical  climates.  The  Bactrian  species  is  of  little 
use  during  the  hot  season,  while  during  the  coldest  winter 
it  performs  nearly  all  the  labor  of  transportation  in 
Central  Asia.  In  countless  caravans  these  patient  ani- 
mals traverse  the  frozen  deserts  of  the  table-land,  and 
descend  into  the  region  of  deep  snows  and  intense  cold  of 
southern  Siberia. 


JOURNEY  ON  THE  TABLE-LAND       289 

The  spongy  and  pliable  soles  of  their  feet,  armed  with 
claw-shaped  nails,  are  adapted  only  to  walking  over  sand. 
Rocky  or  gravelly  surfaces  soon  wear  out  the  thick  skin 
of  the  foot,  while  on  mud  or  ice  they  find  poor  foothold. 

Even  in  many  parts  of  Mongolia  the  caravan  routes 
are  gravelly,  and  wearing  to  the  camels,  but  in  northern 
China,  where  large  numbers  of  camels  are  used  in  trans- 
porting coal,  their  life  is  one  of  torture. 

While  waiting  for  the  return  of  our  Lama  we  witnessed 
the  operation  of  resoling  or  rather  patching  the  soles  of 
a  camel's  foot,  where  a  hole  about  an  inch  in  diameter 
had  been  worn  through  to  the  quick.  The  animal  was 
.thrown  on  his  side.  His  four  feet  bound  tightly  together, 
and  his  head  tied  back  near  the  humps,  he  was  held  mo- 
tionless. After  the  wound  was  cleaned  out,  a  piece  of 
softened  raw  cowhide  was  sewed  to  the  skin  of  the  foot, 
two  or  three  stitches  being  taken  on  each  side  of  the 
piece.  The  hind  feet  seemed  to  suffer  most,  and  the 
operation  had  to  be  renewed  every  few  days. 

Although  the  thermometer  was  so  low  we  experienced 
no  inconvenience  from  the  cold,  partly  owing  to  the  ab- 
sence of  wind  and  partly  to  the  clear  sun.  I  doubt 
whether  any  one  who  has  not  wintered  on  the  plains  in 
the  interior  of  a  northern  continent  can  appreciate  the 
feelings  which  led  the  early  inhabitants  of  Central  Asia 
to  love  and  worship  the  sun.  Often  in  this  journey,  in 
traveling  northward,  facing  the  strong  Arctic  winds,  with 
a  thermometer  at  io°  and  20°  F.  below  zero,  while  almost 
ready  to  drop  from  the  saddle,  owing  to  stiffness  from 
cold,  I  have  turned  my  horse  to  face  the  sun,  and  have 
felt  in  a  few  minutes  the  warmth  of  its  rays  stealing 
gently  through  my  veins,  like  an  influx  of  fresh  vigor. 
The  heavy  icicles  formed  by  condensations  of  the  breath 
upon  the  beard  would  gradually  loosen,  and  the  ice  slowly 


290  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

disappear.  How  often  have  I  then  felt  that,  had  I  been 
bom  a  nomad,  I  should  have  fallen  down  to  worship  the 
great  light-giving  god  of  day,  as  did  the  earliest  bards,  the 
authors  of  the  Vedas. 

For  several  days  we  had  seen  before  us  a  mountain 
peak,  which  in  the  clear  atmosphere  of  the  plains  seemed 
so  near  that  we  each  day  thought  to  pass  it  before  night ; 
but  each  morning  it  stood  still  beyond  us,  towering  higher 
than  on  the  previous  day.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  sixth 
we  approached  the  base  of  this  picturesque  height,  which 
is  called  the  Bogdo  Oola,  or  Sacred  Mountain.  From  a 
broad  terrace,  which  forms  its  footslope,  a  large  valley 
was  visible  in  the  southwest,  threaded  by  a  winding 
frozen  river,  the  Russ  Gol. 

While  crossing  this  plain  an  accident  occurred  which 
might  have  produced  serious  results.  A  cameleer  in 
charge  of  the  carts  had  fallen  asleep  in  the  saddle,  and 
the  animals,  taking  advantage  of  this,  had  strayed  on  to 
uneven  ground,  where  they  could  browse,  while  lazily 
moving  forward.  In  making  a  short  descent  one  of  the 
carts  was  upset,  breaking  one  of  the  shafts.  We  all 
rushed  to  the  spot,  and  while  attempting  to  right  the 
vehicle  a  violent  altercation  arose  between  the  owner  of 
the  cart  and  the  Mongol  whose  stupid  negligence  had 
caused  the  accident.  The  foreigner,  finding  that  strong 
English  produced  no  impression  on  the  Mongol,  en- 
deavored to  enforce  his  meaning  by  well-directed  lumps  of 
ice,  which  fell  harmlessly  upon  the  quadruple  thickness  of 
sheepskins  which  incased  the  cameleer;  not  so,  however, 
when  returned  with  increased  force  upon  the  simply 
woolen-clad  foreigner.  In  self-defense  the  latter  now 
drew  his  revolver.  It  happened  that  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  Mongols  from  the  neighboring  village  were  stand- 
ing by,  laughing  at  the  unequal  odds  of  the  battle;  but 


291 


292  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

when  they  saw  the  pistol,  they  drew  their  long  knives,  to 
use  them  in  defense  of  their  fellow  countrymen.  The 
situation  seemed  to  be  growing  very  serious,  when  an- 
other matter  called  for  the  attention  of  all  parties. 

Frightened  by  the  noise,  the  camel  drawing  St.  John's 
cart  had  turned  and  fled.  We  could  see  the  cart  dashtog 
at  full  tilt  over  the  rocky  plain,  now  swaying  from  side  to 
side,  now  bounding  high  in  the  air.  Soon  the  wheels  left 
the  body,  and  the  contents  of  the  cart  were  flying  in  all 
directions. 

This  turn  of  affairs  was  so  ludicrous  that  even  the 
owner  of  the  cart  could  not  help  laughing  lustily.  But 
when  it  occurred  to  him  that  all  his  money,  in  gold,  for 
the  long  journey  through  a  strange  land,  was  in  one  of 
the  slender  cloth  pockets  of  the  vehicle,  the  matter  ap- 
peared in  a  more  serious  light.  Twenty  or  thirty  Mongols 
were  already  in  advance  of  us,  picking  up  the  scattered 
articles,  and  there  seemed  no  likelihood  of  recovering  the 
money.  When  we  reached  the  cart,  we  found  the  pocket 
torn  and  the  treasure  gone.  It  was  of  course  natural  to 
suspect  our  visitors  of  having  appropriated  the  coin  to 
their  own  use,  and  it  was  proposed  that  we  should  forcibly 
search  them  —  certainly  not  a  very  easy  thing  to  be  ac- 
complished with  impunity  by  four  foreigners,  upon  two 
score  of  Mongols,  in  the  heart  of  Central  Asia. 

While  we  were  discussing  the  matter  among  ourselves, 
a  loud  shout  was  heard  from  a  strange  Mongol,  who  was 
digging  all  alone  some  distance  back  in  the  track  of  the 
cart. 

Hurrying  to  the  spot,  he  pointed  out  a  pile  of  shining 
sovereigns,  which  would  have  been  an  immense  fortune 
to  him,  but  which  he  had  carefully  gathered  together  out 
of  the  sand,  in  which  they  had  been  buried  by  the  blankets 
dragging  behind  the   cart,   and  which   he  triumphantly 


JOURNEY  ON  THE  TABLE-LAND       293 

handed  over  to  the  owner.  Not  one  was  missing.  St. 
John  rewarded  the  man  liberally,  and  from  that  time  we 
all  of  us  had  a  higher  opinion  of  the  honesty  of  this  sim- 
ple people.  Theft,  I  believe,  is  a  thing  of  rare  occurrence 
among  them.  They  will  over-reach  in  bargains,  but  the 
Buddhist  commandment  — "  Thou  shalt  not  steal  " —  is, 
perhaps,  more  generally  observed  than  is  that  of  our  own 
religion  in  more  civilized  countries. 

When,  a  few  days  later,  the  weather  was  very  cold, 
—  20°  F.,  with  a  strong  north  wind,  it  seemed  as  though 
we  could  not  possibly  reach  Siberia  without  having  some 
parts  of  our  bodies  frozen.  Long  and  swinging  icicles 
hung  from  the  shaggy  coats  of  camels  and  horses,  pro- 
ducing a  strange  tinkling  sound  at  every  step.  During 
this  morning  the  ice  accumulated  on  my  beard  until  it 
hung  in  a  mass  nearly  a  foot  long,  and  of  no  inconsidera- 
ble weight.  Even  the  mouthpiece  of  my  pipe  became 
fixed  in  the  ice  formed  on  my  moustache.  Turning  my 
back  to  the  wind,  a  few  minutes'  exposure  to  the  sun  re- 
moved these  icicles,  but  they  soon  formed  again. 

During  the  night  of  the  twelfth  of  December  we  felt, 
from  the  motion  of  the  carts,  that  we  were  going  down- 
hill, and  morning  found  us  descending  a  flat  gravelly 
plain  or  valley,  inclosed  between  hills  from  300  to  500 
feet  high.  We  were  leaving  the  elevated  continental  basin 
of  Central  Asia  and  descending  among  the  mountains  of 
its  northern  border.  The  sides  of  some  of  them  were 
clothed  with  pine  forests,  which,  though  a  novel  sight  to 
us,  gave  an  air  of  gloom  to  the  country. 

Among  these  hills  we  came  upon  the  sacred  city  of 
Urga.  Urga,  or  Kuren,  is  the  seat  of  one  of  the  four  or 
five  living  Buddhas,  who,  subject  to  the  Dalai  Lama, 
rule  the  inhabitants  of  Mongolia  and  Thibet.  This  Grand 
Lama  was  as  usual  a  Thibetan,  and  only  sixteen  years 


294  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

old.  The  palace  in  which  he  lived  had  a  roof  highly  orna- 
mented with  gilded  spires  and  balls.  It  was  to  Urga  that 
the  Dalai  Lama  fled  from  Lhassa  when  Younghusband 
invaded  Thibet. 

There  was  a  Russian  Consul  at  Urga,  to  whom  we  had 
letters  of  introduction.  His  house  was  a  large,  two- 
story  building,  constructed  of  logs,  hewn  to  a  plain  sur- 
face, outside  and  in,  well  painted  without,  and  with  a 
carefully  furnished  interior.  Before  reaching  the  Con- 
sulate our  chief  cameleer  rushed  up  to  me  and  began  to 
rub  my  face  vigorously  with  snow.  My  nose  was  frozen, 
and  he  was  thawing  out  the  frost.  I  soon  began  to  feel 
the  effects.  It  was  many  days  before  I  was  freed  from 
the  pain  and  swelling. 

Urga  had  a  population  of  16,000,  of  which  one-half 
were  Lamas  (priests  or  monks  of  the  Buddhist  sect 
called  Lamaism).  On  a  walk  through  the  city,  we  en- 
tered a  large  temple  in  which  there  was  an  immense  image 
of  Buddha,  apparently  of  wood  covered  with  sheets  of 
gilded  copper.  The  proportions  are  well  preserved 
throughout  the  statue,  and  some  idea  of  its  size  may  be 
formed  from  that  of  the  great  toe,  which  was  more  than 
eighteen  inches  in  length.  In  front  of  this  temple  there 
were  many  cylinders,  or  praying  machines.  The  wor- 
shiper, setting  one  of  these  in  motion,  goes  on  his  way 
with  the  assurance  that  every  revolution  of  the  cylinder 
turns  out  a  large  number  of  prayers  for  his  benefit. 
Even  the  simple  crank  motion  has  been  improved  upon 
by  the  ingenious  Lamas,  who  attach  the  cylinders  to 
windmills  and  water  wheels. 

From  a  social  point  the  influence  of  the  humane  doc- 
trines of  Buddha  is  most  marked  among  the  Mongolians, 
whose  character  they  seem  to  have  molded  as  much  as 
Mohammedanism  has  that  of  the  Kirgis  tribes  further 


JOURNEY  ON  THE  TABLE-LAND       295 

west.  To-day  we  would  not  recognize  in  the  Mongols 
the  race  which,  under  the  leadership  of  Genghis-Khan 
and  his  descendants,  overthrew  the  dynasties  of  all  Asia 
and  of  eastern  Europe,  sending  terror  even  to  the  shores 
of  the  Atlantic.  This  people,  once  a  scourge  of  human- 
ity, is  now  perhaps  the  most  peaceable  upon  the  globe. 

The  Chinese  court,  mindful  of  their  struggles  with  these 
northern  neighbors,  has  craftily  taken  advantage  of  the 
influence  of  Buddhism  upon  their  character.  The  large 
number  of  priests  (who  are  not  allowed  to  marry)  has 
operated  powerfully  in  keeping  down  population.  At 
present,  in  every  family,  one  and  often  several  of  the 
males  become  Lamas  at  an  early  age.  This  immense 
army  of  drones  lives,  of  course,  off  the  substance  of  the 
remaining  population.  The  Lamas  pass  their  time  in 
Lamaseries,  or  in  roaming  through  Tartary  and  Thibet, 
serving  the  wants  of  the  native  superstitions,  and  prac- 
tising all  the  arts  of  a  crafty  priesthood.  The  numerous 
festivals  which  take  place  at  the  monasteries  attract  im- 
mense crowds  of  the  devout  laity,  who  often  return  to 
their  homes  impoverished  by  the  offerings  of  large  herds 
and  treasure  which  they  have  been  called  upon  to  make. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2ist,  as  we  emerged  from  the 
forest  on  the  northern  slope,  the  Mongols  called  our  at- 
tention to  a  group  of  houses  and  spires,  which  lay  on  the 
opposite  side  of  a  broad  plain  stretched  out  before  us. 
This  was  the  double  city  of  Mai-mai-chin  and  Kiachta. 

About  noon  we  reached  the  former,  which,  lying  on  the 
Mongolian  side  of  the  frontier,  was  entirely  Chinese  in 
character,  as  it  was  also  the  principal  frontier  market 
town  of  the  Empire.  In  traversing  its  narrow  streets, 
between  rows  of  Chinese  houses,  and  threading  our  way 
among  neatly-dressed  Chinamen,  we  could  almost  im- 
agine ourselves  again  south  of  the  Great  Wall. 


296  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Entering  a  large  open  place,  we  found  several  caravans, 
some  encamped,  others  just  coming  or  leaving,  and  after 
some  little  delay,  in  having  our  passports  examined  by 
Chinese  officials,  we  were  permitted  to  pass  the  wall 
which  separates  the  two  towns.  One  can  hardly  imagine 
a  sharper  line  than  is  here  drawn.  On  one  side  of  the 
stockade  wall  the  houses,  churches,  and  people  are 
Chinese;  on  the  other,  European.  With  one  step  the 
traveler  passes  really  from  Asia  and  Asiatic  customs  and 
languages  into  a  refined  European  society. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

SIBERIA 

Christmas  Festivities.     From  Kiachta  to  Irkutsk 

Our  first  step  after  we  arrived  at  Kiachta  was  to 
present  our  passports  and  letter  to  M.  Pfafifius,  Commis- 
sioner of  the  Frontier.  From  this  gentleman  and  his 
wife  we  had  a  cordial  reception,  and  an  invitation  to 
dinner  the  next  day.  The  Russian  Minister  to  China  had 
kindly  written  in  advance  of  our  coming,  and  we  found 
that  M.  Garnier,  with  whom  I  had  traveled  the  previous 
year  to  Peking,  had  prepared  quarters  for  us  at  the  town 
of  Troitzkozavsk,  about  four  miles  distant,  whither  we 
immediately  went.  It  was  no  easy  task  to  transform  our- 
selves into  the  semblance  of  decent  Europeans.  For 
nearly  six  weeks  we  had  been  unable  to  make  any  change 
of  clothes,  and  our  only  ablutions  had  been  an  occasional 
wash  of  face  and  hands  with  greasy  soup,  as  a  preventive 
against  chapping. 

Our  long  exposure  to  the  intense  cold  of  the  plateau 
rendered  the  heat  —  usually  75°  or  80°  F. —  of  Russian 
houses  almost  unbearable.  By  opening  the  wind-wheel 
ventilators,  which  pass  through  the  upper  panes  of  thc^ 
double-glazed  windows,  we  reduced  the  temperature  to 
forty-five  degrees,  but  even  this  was  at  first  oppressive. 
Soon  after  our  arrival  we  were  told  that  the  bathhouse 
was  heated.  We  were  shown  into  an  outer  room  and, 
after  undressing,  into  another  filled  with  steam.  In  one 
corner  a  large   oven,  containing  a  quantity  of   cobble 

297 


298  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

stones,  had  been  heated  for  several  hours.  Into  this  a 
servant  dashed  a  pailful  of  water,  which,  immediately  be- 
coming steam,  filled  the  room.  This  process  of  bathing, 
which  was  at  first  so  disagreeable  as  to  be  almost  painful, 
we  soon  learned  to  regard  as  a  luxury,  and  there  is  cer- 
tainly nothing  more  refreshing.  The  next  day,  after  pay- 
ing the  Mongols  and  discharging  the  Cossack,  we  drove 
over  to  Kiachta  to  dine  with  M.  Pfaffius,  and  after  dinner 
sat  down  to  cards,  the  principal  amusement  of  the  coun- 
try. 

On  the  Russian  Christmas  day  we  drove  over  in  the 
evening  to  dine  with  M.  Pfaffius.  As  there  is  rarely 
enough  snow  for  sleighing  in  this  part  of  Siberia,  south 
of  Lake  Baikal,  the  inhabitants  rely  altogether  upon 
wheeled  vehicles.  This  evening  St.  John  and  I  drove 
alone.  We  had  hardly  gone  over  half  the  road  when 
something  happened  that  brought  us  to  a  standstill. 
While  we  were  trying  to  repair  the  damage,  we  saw  a 
group  approaching  us  with  evident  interest.  The  bright 
moonlight,  which  lit  the  open  plains  far  and  near,  re- 
vealed several  wolves,  which  were  rapidly  approaching. 
Suddenly  they  stopped  on  a  small  eminence  close  at  hand, 
as  if  to  take  a  good  look  at  us.  Their  large,  shaggy 
forms,  defined  against  the  sky,  were  not  pleasantly  sug- 
gestive considering  that  we  had  neither  arms  to  fight,  nor 
means  of  getting  away.  Our  memories  recalled  long- 
forgotten  stories  of  Russian  wolves,  including  that  of  the 
mother  who  saved  the  lives  of  herself  and  one  or  two 
children  by  throwing  out  of  the  sleigh,  one  by  one,  the 
other  members  of  her  family.  Dashing  toward  the  group, 
we  waved  our  hands  and  shouted  a  duet,  which  took  our 
visitors  so  completely  by  surprise  that  they  turned  tail  and 
trotted  off  at  a  quick  pace,  stopping,  after  the  manner  of 
wolves,  every  few  rods  to  look  back. 


SIBERIA  299 

The  ease  with  which  this  victory  was  accomplished 
surprised  us  quite  as  much  as  our  chorus  did  the  enemy. 
We  lost  a  long-cherished  respect  for  Russian  wolves. 

During  our  stay  at  Kiachta  we  accepted  an  invitation 
from  Major  Muravieff,  nephew  of  the  former  Governor- 
General,  to  accompany  him  to  his  headquarters  at  Ku- 
dara. 

We  arrived  during  a  festival,  and  in  the  evening  went 
with  the  Major  through  the  village  to  see  the  amusements 
of  the  people.  Hearing  a  sound  of  music  and  singing 
in  one  of  the  houses,  we  went  in.  In  the  unheated  vesti- 
bule a  shower  of  snow  was  falling,  caused  by  the  con- 
tinuous condensation  of  the  moisture  which  found  its 
way  through  the  cracks  of  the  door  from  the  crowded 
room  within.  Entering  it  we  passed  at  once  from  a 
temperature  of  30°  F.  below  zero  to  more  than  100  above, 
and  found  ourselves  in  an  assemblage  of  Cossack  men 
and  women  who  were  just  beginning  a  national  dance, 
and  the  three  prettiest  belles  of  the  room  were  detailed  to 
select  us  as  partners.  This  dance  began  with  a  slow 
promenade  of  the  ladies,  who  then  separated  and  chose 
partners,  with  whom  they  marched  up  and  down  the 
room,  each  lady  chanting  the  praises  of  her  companion, 
winding  up  by  kissing  him  on  the  forehead  and  on  each 
cheek,  and  singing  at  the  same  time :  "  Therefore  I  will 
kiss  him  thrice,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost,"  an  invocation  rather  adapted  to  take  away 
from  the  individual  emphasis  of  the  salutation.  Then 
they  separated,  and  the  men  in  their  turn  chose  their 
partners,  and  after  praising  their  beauty  and  excellence, 
repeated  the  kissing,  which  seemed  to  be  the  chief  purpose 
of  the  ceremony.  The  music  and  songs  of  the  Cossacks 
were  full  of  melody,  though  of  a  weird  and  barbaric 
kind. 


300  RAPHAEL  PUIMPELLY 

The  eve  of  the  Russian  New  Year  we  spent  at  a  ball,  at 
the  house  of  M.  Sabasnikoff,  the  leading  merchant  of 
Kiachta.  Here  we  saw  so  much  refinement  and  elegance, 
as  well  as  beauty,  among  the  ladies  that  it  was  difficult  to 
remember  that  we  were  in  eastern  Asia,  and  on  the  con- 
fines of  Tartary.  Here,  too,  we  enjoyed  the  same  dance 
which  we  had  seen  at  Kudara. 

We  had  been  detained  for  nearly  a  month  at  Troitzko- 
zavsk,  waiting  for  Lake  Baikal,  i8o  miles  distant,  to  be- 
come permanently  frozen.  It  was  generally  the  middle 
of  January  before  the  ice  formed  to  a  thickness  sufficient 
to  prevent  its  being  broken  up  by  the  winds.  On  the 
15th  of  January  we  learned  by  telegraph  that  sleighs  had 
already  crossed  the  lake,  and  after  bidding  good-by  to  our 
many  hospitable  friends  we  started  for  Irkutsk. 

Thenceforth  our  journey  was  to  be  made  by  post,  and 
to  facilitate  our  progress  M.  Pfaffius  kindly  furnished  us 
with  what  were  called  crown  passports,  which  were  in- 
tended only  for  officials  traveling  on  Government  busi- 
ness. These  papers  insured  the  immediate  furnishing 
of  relays  and  horses,  while  travelers  who  had  only  the 
ordinary  passport  were  subjected  to  constant  delays  and 
extortions. 

The  first  stage  of  our  journey  brought  us  to  the  broad 
Selenga  River,  and  on  its  frozen  surface  we  traveled 
down  the  valley  on  sleighs.  There  is  considerable  cultiva- 
tion in  this  valley,  notwithstanding  that  the  mean  annual 
temperature  is  the  freezing  point  of  water.  After  two 
days  and  nights  we  looked  to  see  the  sun  rise  over  the 
glistening  ice  of  Lake  Baikal.  This  great  inland  sea, 
more  than  four  hundred  miles  long,  is  inclosed  between 
mountain  walls.  Its  opposite  shore  of  cHifs,  about  thirty 
miles  distant,  seemed  but  an  hour's  walk,  so  deceptive  was 
the  clear  atmosphere  of  this  country. 


SIBERIA  801 

The  journey  across  the  lake  was  the  most  exciting 
stage  of  our  trip.  At  first  we  bounded  at  a  rapid  rate 
over  the  rough  border,  between  great  blocks  of  ice,  whose 
transparent  bluish-green  gave  them  the  appearance  of 
aqua-marine.  We  came  at  last  upon  the  smooth  ice  —  a 
dark,  glassy  surface  stretching  away  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  Over  this  the  horses  bounded  at  a  terrific 
pace.  We  seemed  to  be  gliding  in  some  mysterious  man- 
ner along  the  surface  of  a  calm  sea,  and  the  strangeness 
of  our  situation  was  occasionally  heightened  by  loud  re- 
ports caused  by  cracks  that  are  repeatedly  forming  in  in- 
tervals in  cold  weather,  cleaving  the  icy  surface  for  many 
miles.  We  were  several  times  obliged  to  make  detours 
to  avoid  these,  where  they  were  either  too  wide  to  jump 
with  the  sleigh,  or  where  one  side  had  been  raised  two  or 
three  feet  higher  than  the  other.  Upon  the  ice  in  the 
middle  of  the  lake  an  enterprising  Russian  had  established 
a  restaurant,  where  we  took  a  welcome  dinner. 

When  we  reached  the  opposite  side  we  were  detained 
for  some  time  waiting  for  the  moon  to  rise,  as  our  road 
lay  for  sevet'al  miles  further  along  the  shore  of  the  lake, 
where  traveling  in  the  dark  was  not  thought  safe.  By 
the  time  the  moon  rose  a  number  of  other  travelers  had 
collected  at  the  station,  and  as  we  left  terra  firma  we 
formed  a  procession  of  five  or  six  sleighs.  The  one  oc- 
cupied by  St.  John  and  myself,  being  the  lightest,  was 
allowed  the  rather  doubtful  honor  of  taking  the  lead,  to 
test  the  strength  of  the  surface.  The  route  was  by  no 
means  free  from  danger.  The  water  of  the  lake  having 
sunk,  the  ice  in  many  places  remained  without  other  sup- 
port than  its  own  stiffness;  and  the  hollow  sound  which 
reverberated  beneath  us,  as  we  passed  over  these  places, 
gave  a  timely  warning  to  those  behind  us  but  was  by  no 
means  reassuring  to  us.    Two  or  three  times  the  cover- 


302  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

ing  broke  and  horses  and  sleigh  went  through,  fortun- 
ately, however,  in  each  case  bringing  up  on  a  second  sheet 
of  ice,  which  had  formed  two  or  three  feet  beneath. 
These  accidents  sometimes  happened  in  places  where  an 
under  sheet  has  not  had  time  to  form.  Few  days  passed 
without  some  lives  being  lost  in  crossing. 

Daybreak  found  us  traveling  over  the  inhabited  plains 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Angara  River.  Before  noon 
we  came  in  sight  of  Irkutsk,  the  capital  of  eastern  Siberia. 
Here,  also,  we  found  that  a  letter  written  from  Peking  by 
General  Vlangali  had  insured  us  a  good  reception.  We 
were  taken  by  our  new  friends  to  a  large  and  elegantly 
furnished  house,  which  we  were  told  was  entirely  at  our 
service. 

At  Irkutsk  our  party  was  compelled  to  break  up.  Mr. 
Walsh,  having  to  continue  his  negotiations  in  St.  Peters- 
burg, left  us  about  a  week  after  our  arrival,  and  made  the 
journey  with  an  officer  who  was  traveling  as  courier.  A 
few  days  later  Mr.  St.  John  left  in  company  with  our 
friend,  Major  Muravieff,  who  also  traveled  in  the  same 
capacity.  Not  being  pressed  for  time,  and  wishing  to 
stop  at  several  points  on  the  route,  I  remained  behind, 
prolonging  my  stay  in  Irkutsk  to  nearly  three  weeks. 

The  political  agitators  of  Russia,  and  of  Poland,  have 
long  supplied  Siberia  with  a  superior  element  of  in- 
voluntary population,  and  the  refined  society  which  the 
traveler  meets  with  in  the  cities  owes  its  existence  in 
great  part  to  this  source.  During  my  stay  at  Irkutsk, 
when  the  Polish  rebellion  was  furnishing  exiles  by  tens  of 
thousands,  the  wives  and  families  of  the  wealthier  pris- 
oners frequently  arrived,  ready  to  sign  papers  by  which 
they  condemned  themselves  to  undergo  the  same  life  and 
hardships  and  complete  isolation  from  the  rest  of  the 
world,  indeed  to  submit  themselves  and  their  children  to 


SIBERIA  303 

the  same  fate  as  their  husbands  and  fathers,  so  long  as 
these  should  live.  The  descendants  of  these  exiles  be- 
came firmly  attached  to  the  country  and  the  attachment 
was  even  stronger  with  the  peasant,  who,  next  to  his 
God  and  the  Emperor,  reverenced  the  soil  of  his  birth- 
place. 

In  Irkutsk  masquerades,  the  theater,  dinners,  and  balls, 
at  private  houses  and  at  the  clubrooms,  left  little  to  wish 
for  in  the  way  of  social  enjoyment. 

I  was  struck  with  one  peculiarity  of  Siberian  society, 
which,  however,  did  not  extend  below  the  merchant  class. 
This  was  the  apparently  greater  amount  of  care  be- 
stowed upon  the  education  of  women.  They  seemed  to 
be  generally  better  trained  than  the  men,  not  merely  in 
music  but  in  foreign  languages  and  the  general  branches 
of  education. 

The  two  great  evils  of  the  country,  which  run  through 
all  classes,  are  gambling  and  drinking  to  excess.  I  know 
of  no  nation  in  which  drunkenness  assumed  such  fright- 
ful proportions  as  in  this  eastern  part  of  the  Russian 
Empire.  During  my  stay  in  Irkutsk  a  gentleman  told 
me,  in  illustration  of  this  fact,  that  in  one  week,  imme- 
diately after  a  reduction  of  the  Government  tax  on  spirits, 
thirty-five  men  and  women  in  a  village  of  500  souls  had 
killed  themselves  with  drinking.  Another  instance,  re- 
lated to  me  by  a  Siberian  lady,  was  that  one  of  her 
female  servants,  having  obtained  leave  of  absence  under 
pretence  of  visiting  her  dying  mother,  had  gone  directly 
to  a  drinking  shop,  where  she  lay  four  days  in  an  in- 
cessant state  of  drunkenness. 

I  was  told  that  in  Kamtchatka  the  inhabitants  are  in 
the  habit  of  using  a  fungus  in  their  liquor,  which  not 
only  increases  the  intoxicating  effect,  but  has  also  the 
advantage  that  as  soon  as  a  man  begins  to  get  sober,  a 


304  RAPHAEL  PU:MPELLY 

glass  of  pure  water  will  make  him  as  drunk  as  before. 
It  is  said  that  in  delirium  tremens  the  Russian,  instead  of 
being  tormented  with  visions  of  snakes  and  other  animals, 
sees  only  little  devils  of  the  conventional  type.  "  He  has 
seen  the  little  devils,"  is  a  common  phrase  in  explaining 
that  a  man  is  in  the  last  stages  of  drunkenness.  Let  us 
hope  that  the  recent  decree  of  prohibition  may  be  suc- 
cessfully enforced. 

Gambling  seemed  to  be  even  more  widely  spread,  since 
it  pervaded  not  only  all  classes  but  both  sexes.  The 
Siberian  ladies  were  great  adepts  at  cards,  a  fact  which 
my  companions  and  I  learned  to  our  cost  on  the  very 
threshold  of  the  country. 

During  my  journey  I  incurred  a  lasting  debt  to  the 
Siberians  for  their  hospitality.  I  could  not  help  thinking 
that  this  was  extended  to  me  quite  as  much  in  my  charac- 
ter of  an  American  as  individually.  It  was  pleasant  to 
meet  everywhere  an  expression  of  the  most  cordial  feel- 
ing toward  the  United  States,  and  I  was  often  surprised 
to  hear,  in  this  distant  part  of  Asia,  a  very  just  apprecia- 
tion of  the  causes  and  probable  results  of  the  Civil  War, 
which  was  then  going  on  at  home.  Everywhere  there 
existed  the  strongest  sympathy  for  the  North,  and  a  gen- 
eral good  feeling  had  become  widely  spread  by  the  ac- 
counts of  the  cordial  reception  which  the  Russian  fleet 
had  met  with  in  the  United  States.  The  position  occupied 
by  the  slavery  question  in  our  struggle  had  something  to 
do  in  influencing  the  feelings  of  a  nation  in  which  the 
emancipation  of  serfs  had  recently  become  an  accomp- 
lished fact. 


CHAPTER  XLII 
FROM  IRKUTSK  TO  OMSK 

An  Interesting  Fellow  Traveler 

My  departure  from  Irkutsk  was  delayed  several  days, 
owing  to  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  a  comfortable  kibitka, 
or  traveling  sleigh.  This  vehicle  was  of  all  sizes,  entirely 
open,  or  with  a  hood  behind,  or  completely  covered ;  mine 
had  a  hood  behind  and  the  front  part  was  decked  over. 
It  had  only  a  single  pair  of  long  runners,  and,  to  pre- 
vent upsetting,  was  provided  with  a  guard  frame,  which, 
starting  from  the  body  of  the  sleigh  in  front,  spread  out 
some  twelve  or  eighteen  inches  from  the  sides  at  the  back 
end.  As  soon  as  the  vehicle  tipped,  this  framework 
touched  the  ground. 

Every  part  of  the  kibitka  was  thoroughly  braced,  in  a 
manner  to  secure  the  greatest  possible  strength  as  well  as 
lightness,  without  too  great  rigidity  —  precautions  which 
were  absolutely  necessary,  since  these  sleighs  were  ex- 
pected, before  wearing  out,  to  make  several  journeys  of 
from  two  to  four  thousand  miles,  over  roads  that  are 
anything  but  smooth,  at  the  rate  of  ten  and  sometimes 
even  fourteen  miles  per  hour. 

Expecting  to  travel  alone,  I  waited  until  I  found  a 
very  light  sleigh,  which  was  not  much  more  than  wide 
enough  for  one  person,  for  which  I  paid  sixty  roubles 
—  $30. 

The  postal  service  in  Russia,  considering  the  immense 

305 


306  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

network  of  roads  it  covered  on  both  continents,  was,  in 
many  respects,  the  most  perfect  in  the  world.  In  some 
parts  of  the  Empire  it  was  given  under  contract  to  private 
enterprise,  but  through  Siberia  it  remained  in  the  hands 
of  the  Government.  Relay  stations  were  established  at 
distances  of  from  eight  to  fifteen  miles,  under  the  charge 
of  postmasters,  whose  duty  it  was  to  provide  horses  and 
attend  to  the  mails. 

Through  the  kindness  of  the  Governor-General  of  east- 
ern Siberia  I  obtained  a  Government  order,  which  re- 
lieved me  from  anxiety ;  for  it  admitted  of  no  delay,  and 
required  the  furnishing  of  horses  in  preference  to  every- 
thing but  couriers  and  the  Imperial  mail.  The  traveler 
was  allowed  as  many  horses  as  he  was  willing  to  pay  for, 
at  the  rate  of  one  and  one-half  kopeks  each  per  verst 
(about  one  and  one-half  cents  per  mile),  east  of  Tiumen, 
and  west  of  that  point  at  three  kopeks  each,  about  three 
cents  per  mile. 

On  the  evening  of  the  6th  of  February,  1865  (new 
style),  I  left  Irkutsk,  and  started  on  my  lonely  journey 
westward.  Following  the  Russian  custom,  I  had  my 
baggage  spread  out  over  the  bottom  of  the  sleigh  and 
covered  with  a  quantity  of  straw,  and  placing  over  this  a 
Japanese  mattress  and  a  number  of  fur  robes,  I  secured 
a  bed  which  was  both  soft  and  thick  enough  to  deaden  the 
shocks  of  rapid  traveling  over  a  rough  road.  A  number 
of  large  pillows  were  placed  at  the  back,  to  raise  and 
support  the  shoulders  and  head;  for  the  Russians  have 
discovered  that  a  half -reclining  posture  is  the  most  con- 
venient in  traveling,  since  every  muscle  is  at  rest,  and  yet 
the  elevation  of  the  head  permits  a  view  of  the  surround- 
ing scenery. 

Having  learned  by  our  rough  experience  in  Tartary 
how  necessary  it  is  to  clothe  one's  self  in  the  manner 


FROM  IRKUTSK  TO  OMSK  307 

which  the  natives  of  the  country  have  found  to  be  the 
best,  I  had  taken  every  Russian  precaution  against  the 
cold,  and  had  prepared  to  incase  myself  in  an  outfit  which 
I  can  recommend  to  travelers  as  a  sure  protection  in  the 
most  extreme  climate.  Over  a  pair  of  thick  and  loose 
woolen  trousers  and  a  woolen  shirt  I  put  on  the  close- 
fitting  robe  worn  by  the  peasants,  reaching  from  the  neck 
nearly  to  the  ankles,  and  made  of  sheepskin,  with  the  wool 
inside,  and  over  this  a  loose  robe  of  the  fur  of  the  Arctic 
fox,  with  the  hair  also  on  the  inner  side.  My  feet  were 
incased  in  very  loose  boots  of  felt,  reaching  nearly  to  the 
knee.  A  Chinese  skullcap  of  felt,  with  fur  lappets,  pro- 
tected the  head  and  ears,  while  a  long,  knitted  muffler, 
covering  the  whole  face  below  the  eyes,  after  being 
crossed  behind  the  neck  and  tied  under  the  chin,  protected 
nose,  throat,  and  lungs.  Before  getting  into  the  sleigh 
the  traveler  puts  on  over  all  his  other  garments  a  wrapper 
of  reindeer  skin,  with  the  hair  outside  to  break  the  force 
of  the  wind,  and  furnished  with  loose  sleeves  and  a 
collar,  which  when  raised  envelops  the  head  and  face. 
Lying  down  and  putting  his  feet  and  legs  in  a  large  wolf- 
skin bag  and  stretching  them  out  under  the  deck,  he  pulls 
over  him  two  big  fur  sleighrobes  which  reach  nearly  to 
the  chin.  He  is  now  ready  to  defy  the  greatest  severities 
of  even  a  Siberian  winter. 

The  cold,  which  had  been  increasing  every  day,  seemed 
on  the  first  night  out  of  Irkutsk  to  have  reached  a  more 
intense  degree  than  I  had  yet  experienced,  and  before  mid- 
night my  hands  and  feet  were  nearly  frozen.  At  the 
first  station,  by  the  advice  of  a  traveler,  I  put  dry  hay 
between  the  soles  of  my  feet  and  the  boots,  and  was 
fortunate  enough  to  find  a  woman  with  an  ample  muff, 
which  I  bought  for  a  few  roubles  and  found  to  be  pre- 
ferable to   any  gloves.    After  this,  during  the  whole 


308  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

journey,  I  never  for  a  minute  suffered  from  cold.  The 
nose  is  always  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  body  to  pro- 
tect ;  but  by  pulling  the  comforter  about  an  inch  forward, 
and  holding  it  there  till  it  stiffens  with  the  frozen 
breath,  the  whole  face  is  kept  warm  by  the  heat  of  the 
breath. 

Finding  myself  thoroughly  defended  against  the  sever- 
ity of  the  weather,  I  now  began  to  enjoy  the  wonderful 
night-scene  which  surrounded  me.  Three  bounding 
horses  carried  the  sleigh  at  almost  railway  speed,  dashing 
in  rapid  succession  through  groves  of  trees,  through  fields 
and  forests.  A  deep  mantle  of  snow  rounded  and  soft- 
ened the  surface  of  hills  and  valleys  of  an  uneven  coun- 
try, illuminating  the  whole  scene  with  the  tender  Hght 
reflected  from  its  pure  surface.  Overhead  the  stars 
shone  with  flashing  luster  through  an  atmosphere  whose 
purity  is  equaled  only  on  the  higher  and  dryer  parts  of 
the  earth.  After  a  time  I  allowed  myself  to  yield  to  the 
call  for  sleep. 

On  awakening  I  was  not  a  little  startled  at  being  unable 
to  open  my  eyes.  I  found  them  perfectly  sensible,  but 
the  lashes  were  frozen  together  and  to  the  edge  of  the 
comforter.  After  fruitless  attempts  to  force  them  apart, 
I  enveloped  my  head  in  the  collar  of  the  outer  cloak  till  the 
breath  had  thawed  them  out.  At  the  station  we  reached 
before  sunrise  I  got  out  for  breakfast.  Having  been 
warned  of  the  impossibility  of  getting  any  decent  food 
outside  of  two  or  three  large  cities,  I  had  taken  an 
abundant  supply  of  tea,  coflFee,  and  sugar.  A  lady  sent 
me  dinners  for  many  days  in  the  shape  of  sixty  plates  of 
soup,  each  one  frozen  into  a  separate  cake  with  a  ptarmi- 
gan in  the  middle,  and  from  another  lady  I  had  received 
enough  bread  to  last  for  several  days.  Almost  every 
Russian  house  owns  a  samovar,  or  urn,  for  boiling  water, 


FROM  IRKUTSK  TO  OMSK  309 

which  is  heated  by  charcoal  in  a  tube  extending  from  top 
to  bottom.  This  was  the  only  thing,  excepting  plates  and 
glasses  and  other  rough  tableware,  that  the  traveler  could 
count  upon  in  Siberia.  The  samovar  was  heated,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  from  the  time  of  my  arrival  I  had  made  a 
sufficient  breakfast  on  six  or  seven  large  glasses  of  tea 
and  a  couple  of  slices  of  dry  bread,  and  I  adhered  to  this 
bill-of-fare  during  the  rest  of  the  journey.  There  is 
nothing  so  refreshing  and  so  sustaining  in  a  cold  climate 
as  good  black  tea.  Its  stimulating  eflfect  is  both  gentler 
and  far  more  lasting  than  that  of  spirits.  On  the  way 
from  Kiachta  to  Irkutsk  we  had  stopped  to  make  tea  at 
every  station,  and  the  temptation  was  very  strong  for  me 
to  continue  the  habit ;  but  an  easy  calculation  showed  that 
a  delay  of  half  an  hour  at  every  relay  would  lengthen  my 
journey  by  more  than  a  week,  and  I  resolved  to  confine 
myself  to  three  stoppages  daily. 

The  spirit  thermometer  outside  of  the  station  marked 
+  45°  C,  or  49°  below  zero  of  Fahrenheit,  while  within 
doors  the  heat  could  not  have  been  less  than  +  85°  or 
90°  F.,  involving  a  plunge  from  extreme  to  extreme  which 
is  not  only  uncomfortable  but  dangerous.  In  entering 
these  station  houses,  it  is  necessary  to  leave  in  the  cold 
vestibule  the  outer  reindeer  skin  robe,  as  the  low  tempera- 
ture of  the  fur  would  cause  it  to  be  drenched  with  the 
condensing  vapors  of  the  hot  rooms  to  an  extent  that 
would  render  it  as  stiff  as  a  board  on  reexposing  it  to  the 
outside  air.  I  was  now  entirely  among  strangers.  My 
only  companions,  the  drivers,  changed  with  their  horses 
at  every  relay;  and  understanding  as  I  did,  nothing  of 
the  language,  the  long  journey  loomed  up  before  me  like 
an  impracticable  task,  an  endless  succession  of  strange 
postmasters. 

During  the  morning  of  the  second  day,  just  after  I 


310  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

had  entered  the  yard  of  a  station,  the  postmaster  appeared, 
and  to  my  delight  addressed  me  in  German. 

"  You  are  going  through  to  Moscow  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  I  replied. 

"  Could  you  take  a  fellow  traveler  ?  " 

"  I  have  every  wish  to  be  accommodating ;  still  it  de- 
pends upon  who  the  traveler  may  be,  as  you  see  my 
kibitka  is  meant  for  only  one  passenger." 

**  Oh !  I  will  guarantee  her  sociability." 

"  Her?    The  traveler  is  a  woman,  then!  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  postmaster,  "  a  young  lady  who 
is  traveling  westward  on  very  pressing  business,  but  her 
kibitka  has  broken  down  and  I  am  unable  to  give  her  an- 
other. The  only  alternative  she  has,  if  you  will  allow 
her  an  alternative,  is  between  traveling  in  your  sleigh  or 
in  that  of  a  Russian  priest  who  has  just  arrived." 

"  How  is  it  possible,"  I  asked,  with  astonishment, 
"  that  any  lady  could  hesitate  in  choosing  between  a  per- 
fectly strange  foreigner  and  a  holy  man  ?  " 

The  postmaster  disappeared  to  gain  some  further  light 
on  this  strange  situation. 

Now,  in  making  a  resolution  to  take  the  first  respectable 
traveler  I  could  find,  I  had  made  an  express  reservation 
against  lady  passengers ;  but  here  was  a  prospect  of  being 
wedged  into  a  narrow  sleigh,  made  to  carry  one  pas- 
senger, I  did  not  know  for  how  many  days  and  nights, 
with  a  woman  of  whose  appearance  or  proportions  I  had 
not  the  slightest  idea.  It  was  certainly  an  alarming  pros- 
pect for  a  bachelor.  But  before  I  had  time  for  further 
meditation  the  postmaster  reappeared.  There  was  no 
getting  out  of  it ;  and  with  the  best  grace  possible,  in  my 
ignorance  of  her  size,  I  sent  the  landlord  to  assure  the 
lady  that  I  should  be  delighted  to  have  her  share  my 
sleigh.    After  her  baggage  had  been  carefully  stowed 


FROM  IRKUTSK  TO  OMSK  311 

with  mine  in  the  bottom  of  the  kibitka,  and  her  own  bed- 
ding distributed  over  mine,  my  fellow  passenger  ap- 
peared, but  wrapped  in  such  quantities  of  furs  and  so 
closely  veiled  that  it  was  impossible  to  judge  of  either 
her  age  or  appearance;  but  just  before  getting  into  the 
sleigh,  she  raised  her  veil  to  salute  me,  and  perhaps  also 
to  take  a  good  look  at  her  traveling  companion,  and  in 
doing  so  exhibited  a  young  and  attractive  face.  I  con- 
gratulated myself  upon  not  having  adhered  to  a  resolu- 
tion which  would  have  deprived  me  of  so  charming  a 
companion.  After  traveling  for  half  a  mile  or  more,  I 
broke  the  silence  by  some  commonplace  remark  in  Ger- 
man. My  companion  shook  her  head.  *'  She  speaks 
French,"  I  thought,  "  all  Russian  ladies  speak  French ; " 
so  I  repeated  what  I  had  said  in  that  language.  Again 
she  shook  her  head.  **  Perhaps  she  understands  Italian ; 
the  Russian  ladies  are  great  musicians,  and  generally 
study  Italian."  So  I  reiterated  my  attempt  in  Tuscan, 
and  then  in  English,  but  each  time  there  came  that  om- 
inous shake  of  the  head.  I  was  now  in  despair ;  the  idea 
of  traveling  for  days,  or  perhaps  weeks,  with  a  compan- 
ion, but  without  having  a  single  expression  in  common 
was  too  aggravating  to  be  borne.  I  knew  one  Russian 
word  —  that  for  horse.  Leaning  forward  I  pointed  to 
the  animals  and  called  out  "  loshada!  loshada!"  The  ef- 
fect was  electric.  She  saw  that  it  was  the  only  word  be- 
tween us,  and  the  whole  ridiculousness  of  our  situation 
presented  itself  to  her  mind  as  it  had  to  mine.  After 
laughing  she  spoke  for  some  time  in  Russian,  and  the 
ice  which  had  threatened  to  separate  us  was  at  last 
broken. 

My  fellow  traveler's  strange  history,  which  I  learned  in 
part  from  her,  I  will  give  as  I  afterward  heard  it  more 
fully  at  St.  Petersburg.     This  lady  was  the  daughter  of 


312  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

a  noble  family  of  Warsaw,  of  which  she  and  a  brother 
were  the  only  children.  The  latter  had  become  an  offi- 
cer in  the  Polish  army  in  the  rebellion  of  1863,  and  had 
been  made  prisoner  under  circumstances  which  caused 
him  to  be  convicted  and  sentenced  to  Hfe-long  labor  in 
the  frozen  mines  of  eastern  Siberia.  This  punishment, 
which  seemed  to  the  aged  parents  and  sister  more  awful 
than  death,  was  rendered  more  painful  by  the  fact  that 
no  communication  could  be  held  with  the  exile,  who  might 
die  under  the  fatigues  of  the  long  and  terrible  journey 
across  Asia.  In  order  to  give  comfort  and  companion- 
ship to  her  brother  during  his  journey,  and  to  bring  back 
news  of  his  safe  arrival,  this  girl,  scarcely  eighteen  years 
old,  formed  the  resolution  to  go  with  him,  a  point  which 
she  carried  against  all  opposition.  With  a  large  number 
of  political  exiles  and  convicts  of  every  class  this  young 
woman,  who  had  hitherto  seen  nothing  but  the  comforts 
of  home  and  the  gaieties  of  a  brilliant  capital,  made  the 
long  and  terrible  journey,  tramping  for  months  through 
the  snows  of  Siberia,  exposed  daily  and  nightly  to  the 
hardships  and  filth  of  the  prison  stations,  and  surrounded 
by  scenes  of  suffering.  She  saw  her  brother  arrive 
safely  at  Irkutsk  where  he  was  interned  with  others  for 
several  weeks  before  being  distributed.  Then,  without 
waiting  to  recover  from  the  fatigues  she  had  gone 
through,  she  started  immediately  on  the  long  journey  to 
Omsk  on  some  business  connected  with  the  exile's  condi- 
tion, and  it  was  on  this  trip  that  the  breaking  of  her  sleigh 
threw  her  into  my  company. 

Wishing  to  rest  for  a  few  hours  at  Omsk,  I  drove  to  a 
hotel  and  ordered  dinner.  During  the  meal  a  soldier  ar- 
rived and  demanded  my  passport.  To  my  horror  I  found 
that  I  had  probably  left  it  behind,  at  some  station.  In  its 
stead  I  handed  over  the  Government  order  for  horses. 


FROM  IRKUTSK  TO  OMSK  313 

and  told  the  soldier  that  I  was  traveling  from  Peking  to 
the  United  States  on  official  business.  With  this  in- 
formation he  departed.  Before  long  he  reappeared,  stat- 
ing that  the  chief  of  police  had  himself  been  in  Peking, 
and  would  be  happy  to  see  me.  Accompanying  the  po- 
liceman I  proceeded  through  the  city,  and  was  brought 
into  a  large  public  building,  and  into  a  room  which  I  in- 
stantly saw  was  a  police  court.  About  fifty  men  and 
women  of  the  lowest  class  were  standing  in  a  row,  while 
at  a  table  there  were  seated  several  clerks,  and  an  officer 
in  the  uniform  of  a  colonel.  After  informing  me  that 
this  officer  was  the  chief  of  police,  my  guide  went  up  to 
him  and  whispered  something  in  his  ear.  Very  much  to 
my  surprise,  the  man  who  had  invited  me  on  the  score  of 
having  been  in  Peking  merely  looked  up,  and  after  a  long 
stare  went  on  with  the  business  in  hand.  Not  having 
been  asked  to  sit  down,  I  walked  to  the  nearest  chair  and 
seated  myself,  but  was  immediately  forced  by  a  Cossack 
to  stand  up.  Being  indignant  at  this  treatment  1  went 
up  to  the  chief  of  police,  and  found  that  he  understood 
neither  English,  French,  nor  German.  After  failing  in 
the  use  of  signs  and  the  little  I  knew  of  Russian,  a  clerk 
who  spoke  German  came  forward.  I  explained  the  loss 
of  my  passport,  and  demanded  to  know  why  I  had  been 
brought  thither  to  be  treated  as  a  common  criminal. 

The  official  became  furious,  and  ordered  me  under  ar- 
rest. As  the  prison-keeper  started  to  take  me  from  the 
room,  I  shook  him  off,  and  turning  to  the  clerk  said :  *'  Tell 
the  chief  of  police  that  I  am  bearing  despatches  from  the 
United  States  Minister  at  Peking  to  my  Government  at 
Washington,  and  that  he  will  be  held  to  account  at  St. 
Petersburg  for  every  hour  I  am  delayed."  The  old  man 
after  some  hesitation  interpreted  my  language.  The  chief 
of  police  answered  that  he  did  not  believe  it ;  that  I  was 


314  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

there  without  any  passport,  and  had  been  traveling  in 
company  with  a  sister  of  an  exile;  in  short,  that  he  be- 
lieved me  to  be  a  dangerous  character.  If  I  was  carry- 
ing despatches  why  did  I  not  show  them.  Taking  trom 
my  pocket  a  large  envelope  addressed  to  the  home  Gov- 
ernment, and  bearing  the  seal  of  the  legation,  I  handed  it 
over  to  the  official,  who  made  a  move  to  break  the  seals, 
but  on  second  thought  handed  it  back  to  me  after  merely 
examining  the  outside.  I  was  now  allowed  to  depart, 
though  without  any  apology  for  the  treatment  I  had  re- 
ceived. This  unpleasant  episode  was  the  only  official  an- 
noyance that  I  underwent  on  the  whole  journey. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

ACROSS  THE  URAL  MOUNTAINS 

St.  Petersbueg.     A  Deeam  Peoves  Teue 

My  companion  having  stopped  at  Omsk,  I  was  now 
alone.  The  country  from  this  point  on,  and,  indeed,  the 
whole  region  of  the  Obi  River  and  its  tributaries,  was 
much  more  thickly  peopled  than  eastern  Siberia.  We 
were  continually  passing  through  villages  where  the 
streets  were  cut  out  of  the  deep  snow,  which  had  drifted 
over  the  roofs  of  houses.  These  Russian  villages  con- 
sisted altogether  of  log  houses,  generally  not  more  than 
one  story  high.  As  the  heavy  frosts  threw  the  buildings 
out  of  position,  the  older  ones  were  often  so  inclined 
to  one  side  that  it  was  no  easy  task  to  cross  a  room  where 
the  smooth  and  greasy  floor  was  sometimes  at  an  angle  of 
from  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  with  the  horizon. 

At  Tiumen  I  remained  over  one  day.  Unfortunately 
the  great  fair,  which  is  held  here  every  year  in  January, 
was  now  finished,  and  the  visitors  whom  I  had  hoped  to 
see  from  many  parts  of  Asia  had  departed.  The  only 
consolation  I  obtained  for  this  loss  was  a  dish  of  sterlet, 
a  species  of  sturgeon  peculiar  to  the  rivers  of  western  Si- 
beria and  to  the  tributaries  of  the  Caspian.  It  is  cer- 
tainly the  most  delicious  of  all  fishes,  and  is  perhaps  the 
greatest  delicacy  in  the  markets  of  St.  Petersburg. 

Not  long  after  leaving  Tiumen  the  road  entered  upon 
the  gentle  ascent  of  the  eastern  flank  of  the  Ural  Moun- 

315 


316  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

tains.  This  range  is  so  low  and  its  approach,  especially 
from  the  east,  so  easy,  that  I  reached  Ekaterinburg  with- 
out appreciating  the  fact  that  I  was  near  the  summit  of 
one  of  the  most  celebrated  mountain  ranges  of  the  world. 

At  Ekaterinburg  I  presented  letters  of  introduction  to 
Colonel  Lenartzen,  the  director  of  the  mint.  A  cordial 
reception  induced  me  to  remain  for  several  days,  in  order 
to  make  some  interesting  excursions  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  first  day  was  passed  in  visiting  the  mint,  where  only 
copper  was  coined,  and  afterward  in  the  stone-cutting  es- 
tablishments belonging  to  Government  and  to  private  in- 
dividuals. In  the  Imperial  establishment  were  made  the 
greater  part  of  those  vases,  tables,  and  columns  of  lapis- 
lazuli,  malachite,  jasper,  aventurine  quartz,  and  porphyry 
which  adorn  the  palaces  of  Europe. 

On  leaving  Ekaterinburg  I  took  in  as  fellow  passenger 
a  Russian  who  was  going  to  Nijni  Novgorod.  Almost 
imperceptibly  we  reached  the  summit  of  the  Ural  Moun- 
tains, a  fact  which  I  should  not  have  known  had  not  my 
companion  called  attention  to  a  small  monument  which 
marked  the  boundary  betw^een  Asia  and  Europe.  The 
descent  on  the  western  side  of  the  range  is  much  more 
perceptible  than  that  toward  Asia,  and  presents  a  great 
number  of  fine  views  over  the  valleys  of  the  small  streams 
which  flow  toward  the  Volga. 

My  companion  was  a  true  Russian.  Every  time  that 
we  passed  a  church  or  a  cross,  even  though  in  the  midst  of 
conversation,  he  would  suddenly  stop  and  repeat  a  short 
prayer,  while  he  crossed  himself  three  times.  The  fear 
of  missing  an  opportunity  to  perform  this  ceremony  kept 
him  constantly  employed  in  spying  out  the  church  towers 
and  steeples  of  towns  we  were  passing  through,  or  of 
villages  lying  off  the  road. 

During  the  whole  journey  from  Irkutsk  I  had  passed 


ACROSS  THE  URAL  MOUNTAINS      317 

at  intervals  groups  of  exiles,  but  near  the  boundary  of 
Siberia  they  were  both  more  frequent  and  numerous. 
Made  up  of  representatives  of  every  class  of  society, 
from  prince  to  peasant,  these  unhappy  people  dragged 
slowly  forward  on  the  long  journey  to  the  land  of  their 
imprisonment.  A  number  of  them  were  gathered  around 
the  monument  which  marks  the  line  between  Asia  and 
Europe.  The  joy  which  I  felt  on  seeing  this  sign  of  a 
rapid  approach  to  familiar  places  and  home  was  almost 
taken  away  by  the  thought  of  the  widely-different  feelings 
with  which  these  exiles  must  regard  what  was  to  them 
an  emblem  of  separation  from  the  world  and  all  that  is 
dear. 

We  were  now  traversing  a  country  in  which  the  popu- 
lation grew  denser,  and  the  cities  and  towns  more  fre- 
quent, with  every  day's  journey  westward  till  we  reached 
Kazan,  in  the  valley  of  the  Volga.  I  would  willingly 
have  stayed  some  time  in  this  ancient  capital  of  the  Mon- 
gol Empire  in  the  West.  Its  inhabitants  were  for  the 
most  part  descendants  of  the  Mohammedan  subjects  of 
the  Khans,  who  still  adhered  strictly  to  their  ancient  faith, 
and  ranked  as  the  best  elements  of  the  population. 

A  journey  of  less  than  two  days  from  Kazan  brought 
me  to  Nijni  Novgorod,  then  the  eastern  terminus  of  the 
Russian  railroads. 

Exclusive  of  stoppages  at  Ekaterinburg  and  Tiumen, 
I  had  made  the  journey  from  Irkutsk  to  this  point  in 
twenty-two  days  and  a  half ;  or,  excluding  the  delays  in 
changing  horses  and  eating,  I  had  traveled  3,112  miles  in 
352  hours,  being  an  average  of  8.8  miles  per  hour.  The 
same  journey  was  often  made  by  officers  traveling  as 
couriers  in  fifteen  days,  through  to  Moscow  before  the 
railroad  was  built  in  Nijni  Novgorod. 

I  had  little  time  to  make  arrangements  to  take  the 


318  RAPHAEL  PUIViPELXY 

train,  and  was  without  the  money  to  buy  a  ticket  to  St. 
Petersburg.  I  had  a  mattress  of  raw  silk  in  a  tick  of 
heavy  silk.  Also  three  great  robes,  one  of  Arctic  fox 
and  two  superb  ones  of  Siberian  bear.  I  had  besides,  a 
large  ulster  of  raccoon  fur,  and  another  of  the  royal  rein- 
deer; and  I  had  my  sleigh.  These  things  had  cost  sev- 
eral hundred  dollars.  The  local  dealers  were  robbers, 
and  I  was  lucky  to  get  enough  money  to  pay  my  way  to 
the  capital.  The  mattress  had  been  made  of  raw  silk 
on  the  advice  of  Mr.  A.  A.  Vantine,  who  had  been  a 
fellow  traveler  on  the  voyage  from  San  Francisco. 
Many  years  later  he  told  me  that  the  raw  silk  in  that  mat- 
tress would  sell,  if  I  had  it  still,  for  $800. 

When  I  entered  the  train  I  found  Mr.  Walsh's  partner 
on  the  Russian-American  Company  negotiation,  from 
whom  I  could  have  borrowed  what  money  I  needed,  and 
have  saved  all  my  choice  furs. 

After  arriving  at  St.  Petersburg  I  found  at  our  Em- 
bassy the  first  letters  I  had  had  from  home  for  six 
months.  One  among  them  told  of  the  death  of  an  aunt, 
my  mother's  sister,  who  lived  with  us  and  was  dear  to 
all  of  us.  This  news  was  all  the  more  startling  in  that 
it  confirmed  a  dream  which  I  had  on  my  first  or  second 
night  out  after  leaving  Irkutsk  on  my  journey.  It  was 
that  I  saw  my  father  and  mother  standing  in  grief  on 
the  veranda  of  our  house.  I  noticed  the  absence  of  my 
aunt  and  I  drew  the  inference  that  she  must  have  died. 
My  mother's  letter  said  that  my  aunt  had  died  on  the  7th 
of  February.  I  left  Irkutsk  on  the  evening  of  the  6th  or 
7th.  Owego  is  almost  180°  west  of  Irkutsk,  so  when  it 
was  midnight  where  I  dreamed  it  was  noon  at  my  home 
in  Owego. 

On  my  arrival  in  St.  Petersburg  I  found  a  letter  from 
Walsh  telling  me  that  he  had  left  instructions  at  a  bank 


ACROSS  THE  URAL  MOUNTAINS      319 

to  accept  my  drafts  on  him  for  what  I  might  need  —  an 
unexpected  act  of  friendship,  but  in  harmony  with 
Walsh's  generous  nature. 

My  first  visit  was  to  the  botanist  Maximowitch,  with 
whom  I  had  had  interesting  excursions  in  Japan.  He  had 
now  a  most  attractive  wife,  and  was  director  of  the  Im- 
perial Botanical  Gardens.  I  never  saw  Maximowitch 
again,  but  fifty  years  later  my  wife  and  I  were  enter- 
tained in  St.  Petersburg  by  his  daughter,  Madame  Lunin, 
at  a  dinner,  with  several  eminent  scientific  men  and  their 
wives  to  meet  us. 


CHAPTED  XLIV 
TO  PARIS  AND  HOMEWARD  BOUND 

On  the  train  from  St.  Petersburg  to  Paris  my  neighbor 
was  a  Baron  de  Frantche  —  I  think  this  was  his  name. 
He  was  going  to  see  the  heir  to  the  Russian  throne,  who 
was  then  dying  in  Nice.  This  acquaintance  we  continued 
till  we  left  Paris.  We  stayed  for  a  night  in  Berlin  at  the 
Hotel  de  Rome;  and  in  the  morning  I  recognized  my 
room  as  the  one  I  had  slept  in  when,  five  years  before,  I 
left  Freiberg,  in  starting  on  my  return  to  America  and 
my  journey  around  the  world. 

Arrived  at  Paris,  I  went  to  stay  at  a  pension  at  No.  6 
Rue  Castiglione  where  Madame  de  Pailhez  lived.  Five 
added  years  had  not  changed  my  old  friend.  We  played 
whist  or  went  to  the  theater  every  evening. 

I  was  again  out  of  money  and  without  a  letter  of  credit. 
My  trunks  were  full  of  things  from  China  and  Japan,  so 
I  invited  to  my  room  a  jeweler  from  the  Rue  de  la  Paix, 
and  sadly  spread  my  treasures  before  him.  He  bought 
a  superb  fur  of  the  sea  otter,  six  snuff  bottles  hollowed 
out  of  crystals  of  aquamarine,  engraved  in  low  relief  on 
the  outside,  and  with  stoppers  of  large  rubies  and  sap- 
phires —  the  only  ones  I  had  ever  seen.  He  bought  also 
a  wonderfully  carved  box  of  rock-crystal.  These  things 
had  cost  me  much,  he  paid  many  times  their  cost,  but  I 
would  give  treble  what  I  got  to  have  them  again ! 

The  next  evening  I  met  Mr.  Walsh  at  Mrs.  Bigelow's 
reception  at  the  Embassy.  Again  I  had  sold  treasures  a 
few  hours  too  soon. 

320 


TO  PARIS  AND  HOMEWARD  BOUND     321 

I  felt  deeply  the  thought  of  parting  from  my  old  friend, 
Madame  Pailhez,  knowing  that  I  should  probably  never 
see  her  again,  for  she  was  then,  I  think,  well  over  eighty. 
She  was  one  of  those  rare  old  Women  who  retain  their 
faculties  and  sympathies  and  interests  to  the  last.  In  her 
youth  she  had  seen  the  revolution  and  the  change  from 
the  old  regime  to  the  new.  She  had  married  one  of 
Napoleon's  officers,  and,  after  the  restoration  of  the  mon- 
archy, had  accompanied  her  husband  to  Peru,  where,  I 
think,  he  fought  in  the  war  of  liberation  from  Spain.  In 
more  than  one  sense  she  contributed  to  my  education. 
Her  age  and  our  close  friendship  allowed  her  almost  un- 
limited freedom  in  our  talks. 

When  I  reached  London  I  went  to  rooms  that  had 
been  engaged  for  me  by  St.  John,  who  gave  much  of  his 
time  to  make  my  sojourn  both  pleasant  and  profitable. 
We  then  renewed  a  friendship  that  has  lasted  these  fifty 
years. 

My  first  thought  now  was  to  see  Sir  Charles  Lyell. 
On  my  leaving  Freiberg,  six  years  before.  Professor  von 
Cotta  had  given  me  a  letter  to  Lyell,  which  I  kept  by  me 
through  all  my  travels.  I  had  studied  all  of  his  writings, 
and  I  thought  of  him  with  reverence. 

I  had  made  extensive  geological  explorations  in  Japan 
and  China  and  on  the  table-land  of  the  Gobi ;  and  I  had 
brought  with  me  an  outline  of  these,  the  results  of  the 
first  geological  work  in  the  far  East,  together  with  my 
manuscript  maps  and  profiles.  During  four  years  I  had 
looked  forward  to  talking  these  over  with  Lyell.  Now 
that  the  long-looked- for  day  had  come  I  drove  with  my 
material  to  the  house  and  sent  up  my  card.  Lyell  re- 
ceived me  in  his  study.  I  said :  "  Sir  Charles,  I  have 
carried  for  six  years  a  letter  to  you  from  Professor 
Cotta.    During   this  time  I   have  spent   four  years  in 


322  RAPHAEL  PmiPELLY 

geological  explorations  in  Japan,  China,  and  Mongolia, 
and  I  have  thought  that  you  might  be  interested  in  see- 
ing some  of  the  results,  and  possibly  to  give  me  some 
advice." 

Sir  Charles  took  the  letter.  As  he  read  it,  I  saw  his 
brow  darken;  then  he  got  up  and  glaring  at  me,  said 
crossly : 

"  You  couldn't  have  done  a  worse  thing  than  to  bring 
me  a  letter  from  Cotta.  He  made  a  miserable  transla- 
tion of  my  book." 

Then  he  sat  do^\^l  and  turned  to  his  work.  That  was 
all ;  it  was  a  dismissal,  and  I  left. 

I  had  never  received  a  rebuff.  A  feeling  of  humilia- 
tion was  burned  into  my  soul,  when,  instead,  I  should 
have  laughed  at  the  unmerited  rudeness. 

However,  this  experience  was  also  a  point  in  my  ed- 
ucation. It  led  me  always  to  take  helpful  interest  in 
the  many  who  have  come  to  me  for  advice,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  young. 

I  sailed  for  home  on  the  Persia.  As  Mr.  John  Bige- 
low,  our  Minister  to  France,  had  asked  me  to  look  after 
Mrs.  Bigelow  and  the  children  I  did  not  lack  for  pleasant 
companions  on  the  voyage. 

During  the  first  part  of  the  voyage  the  stormy  weather 
had  kept  most  of  the  pasesngers  in  bed,  but  as  the  sea 
quieted  down  the  places  at  the  table  filled.  One  day  at 
dinner  the  talk  turned  on  the  play  at  Wiesbaden,  and  the 
methods  of  pla}nng  to  break  the  bank.  I  said  that  I  was 
reminded  of  a  story  I  had  heard  when  dining  at  the  St. 
James  Club  —  that  a  man  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  hav- 
ing run  through  three  fortunes ;  that  to  escape  arrest  for 
debt  he  had  got  out  of  London  in  a  balloon,  and  then  to 
Baden-Baden  or  Wiesbaden,  where  he  broke  the  bank 
three  times  and  cleared  ten  thousand  pounds. 


TO  PARIS  AND  HOMEWARD  BOUND      323 

While  the  people  opposite  me  were  laughing,  a  deep 
bass  voice  sounded  in  my  ear  from  the  left : 

"  Where  did  you  say  you  heard  that?" 

I  turned  and  looked  aghast  at  the  speaker. 

*'  At  the  St.  James  Club,"  I  answered,  **  and,  my  God  I 
you're  the  man." 

He  laughed :  **  I  didn't  clear  quite  so  much/* 


CHAPTER  XLV 

MANY  OPPORTUNITIES  IN  MY  HOMELAND 

A  Trip  to  the  Lake  Superior  Mining  Region 

I  FOUND  no  longer  the  America  I  had  left  nearly  five 
years  before.  The  war  had  made  great  changes.  The 
older  people  had  aged  rapidly  through  anxieties  and  ex- 
citement; the  younger  generation  seemed  imbued  with  a 
new  energy. 

The  change  was  the  greater  to  me  because  the  molding 
period  of  my  life  —  from  the  twelfth  to  the  twenty-eighth 
year  —  had  been  passed  away  from  home  influences,  and, 
for  the  greater  part,  away  from  the  influences  of  Ameri- 
can institutions. 

I  found  myself  about  to  enter  on  a  life  in  many  re- 
spects quite  new  to  me.  An  era  of  speculation  already 
existed,  especially  in  connection  with  the  exploiting  of 
natural  resources.  The  discovery  of  petroleoum  in  the 
East,  and  of  the  Comstock  lode,  and  the  rich  returns 
from  some  other  points  in  the  far  West,  together  with 
the  high  premium  on  gold  and  silver,  had  excited  the 
national  imagination.  Promoters  were  everywhere  of- 
fering shares  in  *'  mines  "  which  were  as  a  rule  mere  pros- 
pects or  worse.  Congress  was  giving  subsidies  and  im- 
mense land  grants  to  railroads  and  canals.  *'  Get  rich 
quick  "  methods  were  at  work  on  all  sides. 

In  mining,  especially,  there  existed  very  few  trained 
experts  to  develop  mines  and  work  ores  or  to  protect  in- 
tending investors. 

524 


OPPORTUNITIES  IN  MY  HOMELAND     325 

In  this  condition  of  business  I  found  no  lack  of  pro- 
fessional opportunities.  The  Janins,  busy  in  California 
and  Nevada,  urged  the  great  chances  in  those  fields.  Re- 
quests came  for  examinations  of  mines  in  Arizona,  then 
but  partially  safe,  and  in  Mexico  and  Central  America. 
I  was  asked  to  return  to  China  to  get  concessions  for 
mining  coal.  Professor  Whitney  offered  a  place  on  the 
Geological  Survey  of  California.  He  was  to  spend  the 
summer  in  Northampton,  Massachusetts,  working  up  the 
California  report,  and,  before  undertaking  any  profes- 
sional work,  I  accepted  his  invitation  to  write  there  in 
his  library  the  results  of  my  Asiatic  explorations. 

I  spent  some  happy  weeks  with  my  parents  in  Owego, 
and  the  rest  of  the  summer  and  autumn  writing  at  North- 
ampton. 

In  August  the  National  Academy  of  Sciences  met  at 
Northampton  and,  on  invitation,  I  read  a  paper  on  my 
work  in  Asia.  Here  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  several 
of  the  leading  American  men  of  science,  whom  I  became 
able  to  count  as  friends. 

In  New  York  James  P.  Kimball,  my  fellow  student  at 
Freiberg,  had  organized  a  mining  bureau  to  make  re- 
ports on  mining  properties,  and  for  this  I  made  a  pro- 
fessional trip  to  examine  a  copper  property  on  Keweenaw 
Point,  Lake  Superior. 

I  don't  remember  how  valuable  my  report  may  have 
been  to  my  employers,  but  the  experience  I  gained  in 
visiting  the  copper  region,  its  geology  and  its  mines 
through  much  of  its  length,  was  ever  after  of  great  use 
to  me.  I  saw  things  then  that  were  no  longer  to  be  seen 
six  years  later,  when,  as  State  Geologist,  I  made  the  sur- 
vey of  the  copper  district.  Miners  were  working  fissure 
veins  crossing  the  formation,  in  which  were  enormous 
masses  of  solid  metallic  copper. 


326  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

In  driving  on  the  only  road  that  extended  through  the 
great  Keweenaw  Point  I  was  shown,  near  a  solitary  log 
house,  a  pit  which  was  said  to  have  been  the  discovery 
that  led  to  the  wealth  of  the  Calumet  and  Hecla  mine. 
The  story  was  that  the  owner  of  the  log  house  had  missed 
a  pig  for  several  days.  At  last  frequent  squealings  were 
traced  to  a  hole  between  the  roots  of  a  large  tree.  A  little 
work  exposed  a  pit  about  six  or  eight  feet  square  and  as 
deep,  into  which  the  pig  had  fallen.  The  pit  had  been 
excavated  in  a  hard  conglomerate,  and  this  rock  was  full 
of  native  copper.  It  had  been  the  work  of  the  forgotten 
race  who  had  mined  over  the  whole  copper  region  of 
Lake  Superior,  including  the  distant  Isle  Royale.  It  is  a 
fact  that  all  the  mines  till  then  opened  by  modern  miners 
were  started  by  the  indications  given  by  ancient  work- 
ings. Of  the  great  number  of  "  Indian  "  pits  discovered, 
every  one  was  in  copper-bearing  rock,  while  only  a  small 
percentage  of  modern  prospecting  pits  showed  copper. 
How  these  ancient  prospectors  were  able  so  unfailingly 
to  find  the  metal  is  still  a  mystery. 

My  way  back  to  the  East  brought  me  to  Marquette,  in 
the  iron  region.  Iron  ore  had  been  discovered  several 
years  before.  Mining,  smelting,  and  shipping  ore  had 
already  become  an  active  industry.  Marquette  with  its 
neighboring  ore-producing  region  was  a  busy  oasis  on  the 
edge  of  a  vast  primeval  forest,  almost  untrodden  and, 
roughly,  500  miles  long  and  100  miles  wide. 

On  the  northern  side  of  this  wilderness,  near  Lake 
Superior,  lay  great  iron  and  copper  districts.  On  the 
southern  edge,  near  Lake  Michigan,  sawmills  were  man- 
ufacturing lumber  from  the  great  pine  trees  of  the 
neighboring  region. 

What  I  had  seen  of  the  copper  and  iron  and  lumber 
on  the  margin  of  this  virgin  country  aroused  my  imagina- 


OPPORTUNITIES  IN  MY  HOMELAND     327 

tion,  and  I  determined  to  explore  its  innermost  secrets. 
So  when  I  reached  home  my  brother  and  I  agreed  to  take 
what  money  we  could  put  together  and  begin  the  explora- 
tion the  next  summer. 

The  United  States  Government  had  made  large  grants 
of  land  to  the  different  states  for  agricultural  schools,  and 
issued  to  each  state  scrip  to  be  used  in  selecting  the  land. 
Some  of  these  states  had  sold  this  scrip,  preferring  the 
money  to  the  land,  and,  while  the  regular  Government 
price  for  land  in  Michigan  was  $1.25  iper  acre,  the  Agri- 
cultural College  scrip  sold  in  the  market  for  sixty  cents 
an  acre.    I  saw  in  this  a  great  opportunity. 


CHAPTER  XLVI 
IN  THE  WILDS  OF  NORTHERN  MICHIGAN 

About  this  time  Mr.  Henry  S.  Welles  came  to  me  with 
a  proposition.  He  and  some  other  gentlemen  had  got 
through  Congress  two  land  grants  to  build  a  ship  canal 
across  the  peninsula  of  Keweenaw  Point  on  Lake  Su- 
perior, intended  to  greatly  shorten  the  distance  for  ship- 
ping from  the  western  to  the  eastern  end  of  the  lake. 

One  grant  was  of  200,cxx)  acres  assigned  as  in  railroad 
grants  in  checker-board  fashion  to  consist  of  contiguous 
odd  numbered  sections  nearest  to  the  line  of  the  canal. 
The  other  grant  was  180,000  acres  of  odd  numbered  and 
20,000  of  even  numbered  sections.  They  could  be  taken 
in  tracts  of  from  forty  acres  upward  anywhere  on  unoc- 
cupied Government  land  in  the  great  region  of  northern 
Michigan  from  the  east  end  of  Lake  Superior  to  near 
the  western  end.  And  to  give  time  for  the  selection,  all 
of  the  odd  numbered  sections  were  withdrawn  from  the 
market. 

The  company  wished  me  to  manage  the  selection  of 
the  lands  of  the  second  grant;  the  first  had  been  already 
assigned  by  law. 

I  objected  to  accepting  this  proposal,  which  would 
prevent  carrying  out  the  plan  I  formed  for  an  inde- 
pendent exploration.  Mr.  Welles  replied  that  there  was 
a  vast  amount  of  land  that  had  been  granted  to  the 
state,  and  that  this,  not  being  open  to  the  company, 
would  be  open  to  me.     He  then  asked  what  amount  of 

328 


WILDS  OF  NORTHERN  MICHIGAN      329 

salary  I  would  wish.  I  said  $10,000,  and  he  answered 
they  would  make  it  $12,000. 

I  agreed  on  condition  that  I  should  have  an  absolutely 
free  hand  as  to  all  details  and  as  to  amount  to  be  ex- 
pended, to  which  he  agreed,  only  they  wished  particular 
attention  to  be  given  to  exploration  for  gold  and  silver. 
This  I  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with,  and  I  finally 
convinced  him  of  the  great  opportunity  that  probably  lay 
in  the  abundance  of  white  pine  and  in  the  possibility  of 
finding  iron  ores. 

Early  in  May  I  began  my  duties  at  Marquette  by  study- 
ing the  intricacies  of  the  local  U.  S.  Land  Office  records 
and  plats,  and  by  getting  well  acquainted  with  the  Reg- 
ister and  Receiver.  At  the  same  time  I  planned  my 
scheme  of  work  and  organization.  It  was  my  intention 
to  send  into  the  great  forest  parties  to  explore  for  pine, 
each  with  an  expert  estimator  at  the  head,  with  one  or 
more  experts  under  him.  I  reserved  for  myself  the  work 
of  exploring  for  iron.  As  my  assistant  I  had  engaged 
Hermann  Credner,  who  later  became  Chief  of  the  Geo- 
logical Survey  of  Saxony. 

After  getting  all  the  parties  off,  I  set  about  studying 
the  geology  of  the  Marquette  iron  district  and  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  formation  in  which  the  ore  occurs. 

Then  with  Credner,  and  four  Indians  and  two  ca- 
noes, I  started  down  the  Michigamme  River  on  an  ex- 
ploration for  iron  ore.  Our  provisions  consisted  of  flour, 
baking-powder,  pork,  beans,  dried  fruit,  salt,  sugar,  and 
tea. 

The  forest  abounded  in  deer  and  beaver;  the  streams 
in  trout,  and  the  lakes  in  bass,  pike,  and  pickerel,  but 
we  rarely  attempted  to  get  venison  though  we  caught 
plenty  of  trout. 

Our  route  at  first  was  down  the  Michigamme  River, 


330  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

a  stream  flowing  rapidly  through  a  primeval  forest,  chiefly 
of  maple,  birch,  oak,  pine,  spruce,  and  balsam-fir.  Great 
trees  hung  over  the  banks  which  were  often  of  moss- 
covered  rock.  The  water,  though  limpid,  was  of  the 
color  of  garnet,  due  to  the  action  of  organic  acids  on  the 
vegetation  and  humus  in  the  swamps  from  which  the 
river  was  chiefly  supplied. 

We  brought  our  canoes  ashore  long  enough  before 
dark  to  make  camp  and  get  wood  for  the  night,  and  to 
cut  boughs  and  thatch  a  thick  layer  of  them  in  the*  tents 
to  sleep  on.  The  men  always  tried  to  find  a  large  fallen 
dead  maple  tree  to  serve  as  backlog  for  a  fire,  then  they 
cut  logs  about  eight  feet  long;  if  the  night  promised  to 
be  cold  they  cut  sometimes  as  much  as  a  cord  of  these. 
The  fire  was  then  built  about  eight  feet  from  the  front 
of  the  tent,  whose  long  open  front  and  sloping  back  wall 
acted  like  the  reflecting  surface  of  a  bake  oven.  Indeed 
in  the  winter  work  the  parties  often  did  not  carry  tents. 
Even  when  the  thermometer  would  be  far  below  zero 
they  would  spread  boughs  on  the  snow;  and,  making 
a  leaning  shelter  of  a  blanket,  would  sleep  warm  in  the 
reflected  heat  in  the  dense  forest  that  kept  oif  the  icy 
winds. 

In  our  expeditions  inland  we  often  had  to  cross  great 
windfalls  that  marked  the  path  of  cyclones.  For  a  width 
of  half  a  mile,  and  along  a  stretch  of  many  miles,  the 
whole  forest  lay  a  prostrate  mass  of  trees  with  their  tops 
towards  the  east  and  their  great  roots  rising  high,  and 
leaving  the  trunks  often  several  feet  above  the  ground. 
During  the  years  a  dense  growth  of  brush  and  tall  briars 
had  grown  up  to  hide  the  fallen  timber,  and  to  give  shel- 
ter to  hidden  nests  of  hornets. 

With  packs  weighing  sixty  to  seventy  pounds,  it  some- 
times took  us  two  days  to  make  a  half-mile  across  these 


WILDS  OF  NORTHERN  MICHIGAN      331 

windfalls,  never  less  than  one  day,  from  early  morning 
till  night.  On  one  trip  we  had  to  follow  the  path  of  the 
cyclone  for  half  a  mile  to  cross  a  narrow  deep  river. 
Here  the  forest  had  been  a  very  dense  growth  of  tall, 
slender  spruces.  A  fire  had  run  through  the  fallen  tim- 
ber and  burned  the  fresh  growth  of  briars,  as  well  as  the 
branches  and  the  bark  of  the  trees. 

The  bare  poles  lay  horizontal  and  were  sound;  and 
being  firmly  held  by  the  roots,  were  a  mass  of  parallel 
spring  poles.  We  walked  along  these,  keeping  our  bal- 
ance in  stepping  across  from  the  small  end  of  one  to 
the  root  end  of  its  neighbor.  Every  man  carried  a  heavy 
pack  and  a  sharp  ax.  We  had  got  along  very  well  till 
suddenly  a  dense  swarm  of  hornets  rose  from- below.  It 
was  then  every  man  for  himself  with  hop,  skip,  and 
jump  till  we  could  stop,  standing  or  fallen.  Packs  were 
dropped,  and  some  fell  between  the  poles.  One  man 
came  near  cutting  his  throat.  In  throwing  up  his  right 
hand  to  save  his  balance,  the  sharp  ax  cut  a  slight  gash 
in  his  neck. 

Very  often  we  saw  the  contributions  of  beavers  to  the 
stage  of  forest  growth.  There  were  ponds  which  they 
had  formed  by  building  dams  across  a  stream  at  a  care- 
fully selected  point.  In  some  of  these  the  beavers  were 
still  living  in  their  "  lodges  "  raised  in  the  middle  of  the 
water.  Small  canals  ran  from  the  pond  to  the  forest. 
One  of  these,  that  seemed  to  be  freshly  made,  I  followed 
to  its  source  at  the  foot  of  a  slope  on  which  stood  poplars. 
It  was  here  that  the  beavers  provided  themselves  with 
both  food  and  materials  to  build  their  lodges  and  make 
and  repair  their  dam.  Tall  trees,  up  to  six  and  fifteen 
inches  thick,  were  in  process  of  being  felled  by  the  slow 
gnawing  of  gouge-shaped  teeth.  Others  lay  already  fal- 
len and  cut  up  into  short  logs  from  the  thicker  trees,  or 


332  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

longer  ones  from  the  slender  branches,  all  ready  to  float 
down  the  canal  to  the  pond.  The  bark  would  supply 
food,  and  then  the  stripped  wood  would  serve  for  con- 
struction. Truly  the  beaver  was  the  pioneer  lumberman 
and  hydraulic  engineer. 

On  a  later  trip  in  the  region  where  pine  was  being 
cut  to  haul  to  the  river  we  saw  a  corduroy  road  of  heavy 
logs  just  built  through  a  swamp  bordering  a  beaver  pond. 
The  builders  had  cut  the  dam,  drained  off  the  water,  and 
built  the  road.  After  a  day  or  two  the  beavers  rebuilt 
the  dam,  and  the  logs  of  the  road  were  all  afloat ! 

To  return  to  our  voyage  down  the  river.  At  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Michigamme  and  Brule  rivers  there  is  a  beau- 
tiful waterfall  over  twenty  feet  high,  where  I  had  a  nar- 
row escape  from  drowning. 

From  here  we  were  on  the  Menominee  River,  and  cahie 
upon  several  high  and  picturesque  falls.  In  the  ponds 
below  these  we  sometimes  found  large  turtles  and  stur- 
geon for  supper.  At  last  we  camped  at  the  foot  of  a 
fall  sixty  feet  high,  from  where  I  proposed  to  leave  the 
river  to  go  north  on  an  Indian  trail  to  a  lake. 

In  portaging  our  canoes  and  provisions  to  the  lake  we 
crossed  a  high  ridge  of  limestone  and  an  outcrop  of 
quartzite  in  thin  layers  coated  with  films  of  specular  iron 
ore.  The  northern  slope,  mantled  with  a  superb  forest 
of  maple  and  beech,  yellow  birch  and  iron  wood,  de- 
scended to  the  ridge  of  the  beautiful  Lake  Antione.  Here 
we  made  a  camp  to  serve  as  a  point  from  which  to  begin 
the  exploration  of  the  immediate  region. 

I  was  elated  at  the  thought  that  this  great  development 
of  crystalline  limestone  might  lead  to  important  results 
that  should  justify  my  insistence  on  making  a  search  for 
iron  ore  a  principal  element  in  the  exploration.  Of 
the  importance  of  pine  selections  I  had  had  no  doubts. 


WILDS  OF  NORTHERN  MICHIGAN      333 

I  lay  long  awake  till  at  last  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  distant 
roaring  of  the  falls  four  miles  away. 

To  begin  as  thorough  a  reconnaissance  as  possible,  of 
the  geological  structure  of  the  region,  we  traced  east- 
ward eight  miles  the  limestone  ridge  and  an  accompany- 
ing line  of  magnetic  attractions,  finding,  as  well,  some 
loose  good  ore. 

During  this  study,  as  far  as  it  related  to  the  geology  of 
the  iron  formation,  we  accurately  outlined  the  part,  east 
of  the  Michigamme  River,  of  what  is  now  called  the 
Menominee  Iron  District;  and  we  mapped  the  lines  of 
ore  formation.  These  lines  lay  along  two  massive  lime- 
stone ridges  between  which  nestled  the  beautiful  Lakes 
Antoine  and  Fume.  The  ore  formation  proper  seemed 
to  overlie  the  limestone. 

Some  great  mines  have  developed  here.  I  may  relate 
an  anecdote  connected  with  one.  A  man,  in  Ohio  I  think, 
had  failed  and  been  stripped  of  everything.  There  re- 
mained eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in  the  woods  of  Michi- 
gan that  seemed  not  worth  the  cost  of  valuing.  In  time 
an  explorer  got  from  him  an  option  for  a  lease  and  found 
one  of  the  big  iron  mines  of  the  world.  It  is  related  that 
the  old  gentleman  used  to  sit  all  day  on  the  dump  watch- 
ing the  skips  discharge  and  counting  the  royalty,  "  fifty 
cents,  fifty  cents." 

Before  the  middle  of  September  we  had  covered  with 
the  reconnaissance  the  whole  area  within  the  limits  of 
the  grant.  Thus  I  was  able  to  select  a  maximum  of  iron 
ore  possibilities  with  a  minimum  expenditure  of  the  acre- 
age of  the  grant. 

I  now  set  out  with  a  light  bark  canoe  for  a  rapid  voy- 
age down  the  Menominee  to  its  mouth,  and  thence  by 
rail  to  Marquette.  We  started  from  a  little  isolated  In- 
dian  settlement   called   Badwater.     Here   some   Indians 


334  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

had  built  several  log  huts  in  the  midst  of  some  hundreds 
of  acres  of  fertile  land  —  all  of  it,  except  three  or  four 
acres,  covered  with  a  grand  forest.  They  raised  some 
of  the  northern  maize  called  "  squaw "  com,  and  the 
women  showed  with  pride  some  fine  potatoes. 

I  had  been  there  before,  and  they  knew  me,  and  when 
I  appeared  there  now  they  exclaimed :  "  Bid-wey-wey- 
Gizjek !     Bid-wey-wey-Gizjek !  " 

When  I  asked  what  they  were  saying,  one  of  my  In- 
dians said  that  was  the  name  they  had  given  me.  It 
meant  "  Sounding  Sky." 

"  Why  do  they  call  me  that? "  I  asked. 
He  asked  the  old  man  of  the  group.     I  saw  an  expres- 
sion of  sadness  on  the  faces  about  me  as  the  answer  was 
given : 

"  These  Indians  try  do  same  as  white  man.  They 
make  house  and  plant  crop.  They  think  they  always  live 
here.  The  land  is  good,  heap  fish,  heap  deer,  heap 
beaver,  and  mink  and  marten,  heap  fur.  Now  they  say 
they  see  you  take  all  land.  They  think  you  take  their 
land.     Yes,  they  heap  sad." 

"Well,"  I  said,  "what  has  that  got  to  do  with  the 
name  they  call  me?" 

"  They  think  you  thunder  that  come  before  storm." 
So  I  was  the  "rumbling  of  the  coming  storm." 
The  tract  was  an  odd  numbered  section,  and  I  told  him 
to  tell  the  Indians  that  no  one  but  me  could  take  that  dur- 
ing the  next  few  years,  and  that  I  would  not  take  it  from 
them ;  and  I  added  that  I  would  try,  if  possible,  to  have 
it  secured  to  them  once  for  all. 

They  were  very  grateful.  After  a  consultation  among 
themselves  an  old  squaw  went  off  and  came  back  with 
a  gift.     The  group  gathered  near,  as  she  proudly  handed 


WILDS  OF  NORTHERN  MICHIGAN      335 

it  to  me.  It  was  a  freak  of  three  potatoes  united  to  form 
a  strikingly  peculiar  growth.  The  old  man  smiled,  and 
the  women,  old  and  young,  giggled.  My  interpreter  said, 
**  They  say  this  bring  you  heap  papoose."  In  return  for 
the  mascot  I  made  them  all  happy  with  tobacco. 

Down  the  Menominee  was  a  charming  paddling  trip  of 
about  two  hundred  miles.  The  river  often  meandered 
through  lowlands  covered  with  large  elms.  We  portaged 
around  great  waterfalls,  and  dashed  down  long  and  dan- 
gerous rapids,  where  only  the  skill  of  my  Indians  saved 
us  from  destruction. 

One  of  these  long  rapids  was  especially  difficult.  It 
was  full  of  large  sharp-edged  and  sharp-pointed  blocks 
of  white  quartzite.  Only  the  greatest  skill  with  paddle 
and  pole  could  guide  the  boat  safely  through  the  intri- 
cate windings  of  the  foaming  torrent.  A  touch  of  the 
frail  bark  canoe  against  a  jagged  block  might  mean 
drowning. 

I  remember  that  at  every  critical  point,  in  the  **  shoot- 
ing" of  these  cataracts,  I  felt  a  stinging  thrill  on  the 
soles  of  my  feet.  I  had  had  this  sensation  before.  In 
going  carefully  down  the  slippery  surface  of  a  smooth 
rock  that  sloped  to  the  top  of  a  high  fall  my  moccasins 
slipped,  and  I  narrowly  escaped  the  fatal  plunge.  With 
the  slipping  came  the  stinging  thrill ;  it  was  a  physical  ex- 
pression of  fear  in  the  presence  of  imminent  danger,  and 
it  lasted  for  some  time  after.  While  shooting  the  cat- 
aract it  came  when  I  was  sitting  on  the  bottom  of  the 
canoe  with  my  feet  stretched  out  at  rest,  and  even  when 
I  was  enjoying  the  excitement  of  the  adventure. 

My  work  was  now  chiefly  at  the  Land  Office.  Some  of 
my  pine  parties  had  arrived  from  the  woods,  and  I 
checked  their  lists  on  the  plat-books.    Then  I  sent  the 


336  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

men,  who  had  explored  in  the  region  east  of  Marquette, 
to  reexplore  the  lands  examined  by  those  who  had  ranged 
through  the  southwest,  and  vice  versa.  I  followed  this 
plan  throughout  1867  and  1868.  The  result  showed  a 
rough  conformity  in  the  estimates,  such  as  would  neces- 
sarily vary  with  the  personal  equation  of  men  estimating 
by  sight  without  instrumental  measurement.  I  detected 
fraud  only  once. 

In  the  meantime  the  company  had  been  preparing  to 
dig  the  canal,  and  I  was  called  to  aid  on  the  spot,  which 
I  had  not  yet  seen. 

The  length  of  the  canal  was  to  be  six  miles.  Of  this 
four  miles  consisted  in  deepening  the  outlet  at  the  east 
end  of  Portage  Lake  and  two  miles  to  be  dug  from  the 
west  end  of  this  lake  to  Lake  Superior.  This  western 
part  lay  about  a  mile  and  a  half  through  a  swamp;  the 
rest,  a  half-mile  or  less,  through  a  ridge  of  sand  and 
gravel,  rising  to  about  thirty  feet  above  lake  level.  My 
business  was  to  determine  the  nature  of  the  ground  to 
be  excavated. 

My  soundings  showed  the  whole  swamp  to  be  a  deep 
mass  of  liquid  ooze.  It  seemed  probable  that  the  ridge 
could  be  traversed  by  dredges  without  meeting  a  bed  of 
rock. 

A  contractor  offered  to  build  the  canal  for  $80,000.  I 
don't  remember  whether  he  included  the  harbor  demanded 
in  the  Act  of  Congress.  To  me  this  seemed  clearly  im- 
possible. The  bid  was  rejected  because  the  engineers  es- 
timated that  the  company  could  build  it  for  $40,000! 

So  the  company  started  on  the  track  that  led  in  the  end 
to  ruin.  A  mortgage  for  $400,000  on  the  granted  lands 
had  been  made  under  the  authorization  of  Congress,  to 
raise  the  money  to  build  the  canal.     When  a  million  had 


WILDS  OF  NORTHERN  MICHIGAN      337 

been  spent,  the  company  became  bankrupt  and  it  took 
$800,000  more  to  finish  the  canal  under  a  receiver. 

After  starting  the  parties  to  explore  for  pine  through 
the  coming  winter  I  went  to  New  York  to  stay  there  till 
spring. 


CHAPTER  XLVII 

A  DUKE  INTRODUCED  TO  "DEMOCRACY." 
VENTURES 

In  the  spring  of  1868,  after  a  visit  to  my  father  in 
Owego,  I  again  took  up  my  work  on  Lake  Superior. 

During  this  summer  the  lists  of  the  pine  explorers  of 
the  past  winter  were  checked  by  reexamination,  and  the 
final  lists  forwarded  to  Washington,  so  that  the  whole 
floating  grant,  excepting  some  even  sections,  was  certi- 
fied by  the  General  Land  Office  to  the  Canal  Company. 

In  the  meantime  I  was  called  twice  to  the  works  at 
the  <:anal,  and  made  flying  trips  to  revisit  the  lands  taken 
for  iron  ore  possibilities,  and  other  excursions  to  study 
in  more  detail  the  geology  of  the  Marquette  region.  It 
was  on  these  last  that  I  took  with  me,  as  stated  before  in 
telling  of  the  mouflon,  the  Duke  of  Wiirtemburg  and  his 
nephew.  Among  the  stories  told  around  our  camp-fires 
I  remember  one  told  by  the  Duke.  Some  years  before 
his  uncle,  Duke  Paul,  had  traveled  in  the  United  States 
and  had  passed  a  night  at  a  village  in  Wisconsin.  The 
next  morning  he  ordered  a  carriage  to  take  him  to  a  place 
several  miles  distant.  While  he  was  waiting  in  the 
office  of  the  inn  a  man  came  in  and,  walking  forward, 
slapped  the  Duke  on  the  shoulder,  asking: 

"  Are  you  the  fellow  that  wants  to  go  to  Mayville  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  wish  to  go  to  Mayville,"  answered  the  startled 
Duke. 

"  Well,  Tm  the  gentleman  that's  goin'  to  drive  you." 

338 


A  DUKE  INTRODUCED  339 

On  these  trips  the  conditions  were  not  always  com- 
fortable. We  had  some  cold  rains,  and  sometimes 
camped  in  swamps,  and  went  across  one  narrow  but  soul- 
harrowing  windfall.  My  guests  had  insisted  that  no 
change  in  my  camping  methods  should  be  made  on  their 
account.  And  no  one  could  have  gone  through  the  ex- 
periences with  a  better  spirit  of  camaraderie  and  enjoy- 
ment than  did  this  old  man  of  seventy  and  his  royal 
nephew. 

The  uncle  seemed  a  good  botanist,  and  had  a  good  lay- 
man's knowledge  of  the  geology  of  the  period;  and  at 
the  mines  he  took  careful  notes.  Without  appreciably  in- 
terfering with  my  work  he  added  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
excursions. 

Autumn  had  begun  and  my  work  for  the  Canal  Com- 
pany was  finished.  At  the  last  minute  there  came  an  order 
from  the  General  Land  Office  in  Washington  affecting 
the  first  grant,  with  which  I  had  had  nothing  to  do.  The 
enabling  act  which  had  authorized  the  grant  had  stated 
that  it  should  be  of  lands  nearest  the  line  of  the  Canal. 
The  department  had  now  discovered  that,  to  meet  the  re- 
quirement, sections  covering  20,000  acres  would  have  to 
be  shifted.  It  was  merely  a  question  of  making  some 
changes  in  the  boundary  of  the  grant.  So  I  set  to  work 
studying  the  plat  books  in  the  Marquette  Land  Office.  I 
shifted  the  20,000  acres  of  odd  numbered  sections  so  as 
to  include  the  iron  ore  possibilities. 

This  was  to  become  the  great  Gogebic  iron  range  of 
which  the  Canal  Company  obtained  about  one  half 
through  its  ownership  of  the  odd  numbered  sections. 

When,  during  the  long  panic  that  started  in  1873,  the 
Portage  Lake  and  Lake  Superior  Ship  Canal  Company 
went  into  bankruptcy  there  began  a  series  of  Congres- 
sional hearings  and  cases  in  the  courts,  in  some  of  which 


340  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

I  had  to  appear  as  witness.  The  lands  were  to  be  sold 
under  foreclosure  of  the  several  mortgages.  The  holders 
of  the  mortgage  bonds  insisted  on  a  sale  of  all  the  lands 
in  one  block.  The  company  fought  for  sales  in  parcels. 
They  rightly  claimed  that  in  the  then  existing  financial 
depression  a  sale  en  bloc  would  be  ruinous,  and  that  by 
selling  in  parcels  much  might  be  saved  of  the  immense 
excess  of  value  of  the  property  over  the  debt.  I  testified 
that  they  should  average  seven  dollars  per  acre  in  quick 
sales  of  parcels.  Mr.  J.  M.  Longyear  put  them  at  $2.50. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  records  show  that  the  pine 
alone  on  186,506  acres  has  been  sold  standing  for  $5,945,- 
384  —  an  average  of  $31.88  per  acre  —  while,  by  1915, 
more  than  $10,000,000  had  been  received  in  royalties 
from  the  iron  mines  on  the  grant.  So  I  felt  justified  in 
having  insisted  on  exploring  for  pine  and  iron  ore  in- 
stead of  for  gold  and  silver. 

My  experience  during  this  work  for  the  Canal  Com- 
pany confirmed  me  in  a  decision  I  had  taken  on  my  first 
visit  to  Lake  Superior.  This  was  that  instead  of  putting 
any  savings  I  might  be  able  to  make  into  life  insurance 
or  savings  banks  I  would  invest  them  in  Government 
lands  carrying  timber,  and  in  lands  having  the  iron  ore 
formation,  whether  merchantable  ore  showed  on  the  sur- 
face or  not. 

I  had  on  my  first  visit  become  acquainted  with  Major 
Thomas  Benton  Brooks,  and,  now  that  I  was  free,  I  told 
him  my  plan,  and  proposed  that  we  should  join  in  buy- 
ing lands  on  it.  This  led  to  an  informal  association  that 
lasted  nearly  forty  years.  There  was  no  written  con- 
tract that  I  remember,  only  a  verbal  arrangement  to  in- 
vest jointly  such  money  as  we  then  could  spare,  in  such 
lands  as  either  of  us  should  think  desirable. 

Our  first  joint  work  was  to  quickly  trace  the  Marquette 


A  DUKE  INTRODUCED  341 

ore  formation  west  from  Ishpeming  along  the  northern 
edge  of  the  basin,  using  the  dip  needle,  and  trying  to  lo- 
cate the  southern  limit  of  the  granitic  area.  After  having 
traced  a  line  of  magnetic  attractions  several  miles  be- 
yond Lake  Michigamme,  we  sent  J.  L.  Spurr  to  explore 
carefully  for  ore  outcrops  along  the  line.  He  was  to 
have  a  third  interest  in  anything  of  his  finding  that  we 
should  buy.  At  the  same  time  we  sent  Jack  Armstrong 
down  into  northern  Wisconsin  to  explore  for  pine  and 
for  iron  on  the  possible  western  extension  into  Wiscon- 
sin of  the  Lake  Antoine  iron  formation.  Spurr  came 
back  with  specimens  from  a  large  outcrop  of  rich  mag- 
netic ore.  I  wrote  to  the  owner,  a  Mr.  Williams,  near 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  for  a  price.  He  answered  that  he  knew 
the  tract  contained  iron  ore,  and  he  would  sell  the  i6o 
acres  for  $8,000,  if  paid  by  a  given  date,  which  we 
agreed  to. 

I  went  at  once  to  New  York,  and  from  there,  with 
$8,000  in  legal  tender  bills,  I  took  a  night  train  for  Syra- 
cuse. The  porter  woke  me  at  three  o'clock  saying  I  had 
five  minutes  to  dress.  On  my  way  back  from  the  wash 
room  my  foot  hit  something  on  the  floor.  The  car  was 
very  dark,  but,  thinking  some  one  might  have  lost  some- 
thing, I  spent  valuable  time  in  searching  for  the  thing. 
It  was  my  roll  of  $8,000!  It  was  a  case  of  rewarded  al- 
truism. 

After  delivering  the  deed  of  sale  Mr.  Williams  told 
me  that  a  Mr.  Palmer  of  Michigan  was  interested  with 
him  in  the  property;  and  soon  Palmer  wrote  to  Major 
Brooks  that  Williams  had  written  him  about  the  sale, 
that  he  had  known  that  the  land  contained  valuable  ore, 
and  that  he  hoped  it  would  prove  to  be  very  valuable. 
All  of  which  seemed  very  nice.  However,  when  the  dis- 
covery came  to  be  much  talked  of,  Mr.  Palmer  entered 


842  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

a  suit  to  recover  a  third  interest  in  the  property,  and  he 
won  out  in  the  lower  court.  We  appealed  to  the  State 
Supreme  Court,  where  three  judges  out  of  five  decided 
against  us. 

It  was  my  first  experience  at  law,  and  it  was  a  very 
valuable  and  never  forgotten  object  lesson;  but  it  de- 
layed development  of  the  property  for  nearly  three  years. 

At  last  we  organized  the  Spurr  Iron  Mining  Company, 
issued  stocks  and  bonds,  and  began  to  open  the  mine. 
The  ore  body  promised  to  be  large,  the  railroad  was  ex- 
tended to  it,  and  we  began  to  ship  ore.  This  was,  I  think, 
in  1872. 

Among  the  owners  of  stock  and  bonds  were  Brooks  and 
I,  Mr.  Moses  Taylor,  and  a  Mr.  Morgan  —  an  Ohio  iron- 
master. The  bonds  were  made  to  run  one  year.  By 
1873  we  had  shipped  over  100,000  tons  of  ore,  but  as  it 
was  evident  that  we  should  not  be  able  to  pay  off  the 
bonds  at  maturity  we  all  agreed  verbally  to  extend  them 
another  year. 

Then  something  happened.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Norwell 
the  secretary  of  the  company,  Mr.  Morgan,  had  expressed 
some  difference  of  opinion  on  some  mining  or  selling 
question.  Mr.  Norwell,  in  his  reply,  had  written  that  he 
thought  Mr.  Morgan  was  really  **  hypercritical."  There- 
upon, without  any  notice,  Mr.  Morgan  entered  a  suit  for 
foreclosure  of  the  bonds !  Which  showed  an  equal  weak- 
ness in  temperament  and  vocabulary.  It  would  have 
been  funny  if  it  hadn't  been  effective. 

The  Jay  Cooke  panic,  coming  on  top  of  the  difference 
between  hypo  and  hyper,  smashed  the  Spurr  Mining 
Company. 

To  go  back  to  the  autumn  of  1868:  Jack  Armstrong, 
our  faithful  and  efficient  "  timber  cruiser,"  returned  with 
a  list  of  vacant  Wisconsin  pine  lands,  incidentally  carry- 


A  DUKE  INTRODUCED  343 

ing  indications  of  iron  ore  formation.  We  bought  un- 
divided interests  in  several  tracts  having  "  iron  chances  '* 
with  timber.  Within  a  year  we  had  a  scattered  holding 
of  a  considerable  number  of  thousands  of  acres.  The 
time  for  getting  lands  with  more  than  a  very  moderate 
stand  of  pine  had,  however,  passed. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 

I  WRITE  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  MY  EXPERIENCES. 
MORE  VENTURES 

In  the  autumn  of  1869,  I  entered  through  marriage 
with  Miss  Eliza  Shepard  into  a  new  life  that  lasted  for 
many  years  —  a  relation  of  happiness  clouded  only  by 
the  death  of  two  children. 

The  following  winter  I  lectured  at  Harvard  on  ore 
deposits.  I  also  finished  the  manuscript  of  Across  Asia 
and  America,  and,  with  the  help  of  my  wife,  prepared  it 
for  publication.  The  book  appeared  in  1870  and  went 
through  at  least  nine  editions.  It  has  long  been  out  of 
print,  but,  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  say,  not  out  of  mem- 
ory; for  even  until  now  (1916)  people  who  were  then 
young  or  middle  aged  often  introduce  themselves  on  the 
strength  of  having  enjoyed  reading  it.  Some  recall  the 
adventures  in  Arizona,  some  the  episodes  in  China  or 
Japan,  while  my  romantic  ride  through  Siberia  especially 
attracted  others. 

The  Government  of  Michigan  asked  Major  Brooks  and 
me  to  make  jointly  a  geological  survey  of  the  state. 
Brooks  took  the  iron  district,  and  I  the  copper  region  of 
the  upper  peninsula.  Major  Brooks  had  already  bril- 
liantly worked  out  the  geology  of  the  whole  Marquette 
district,  so  I  turned  over  to  him  all  the  notes  of  my  ex- 
plorations in  the  other  parts  of  the  upper  peninsula  to 
use  as  clues. 

I  had  as  assistants  Archibald  Marvin,  my  former  stu- 

344 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  MY  EXPERIENCES     34^5 

dent,  and  Luther  Emerson,  who  did  the  surveying.  The 
results  of  the  surveys  and  description  of  the  beds  of  the 
copper-bearing  zone  were  published  in  Volume  I  of  the 
State  Geological  Survey  in  1873.  Those  relating  to  the 
occurrence  of  copper  appeared  later. 

Late  in  autumn,  a  few  days  before  leaving,  I  was  on 
crutches.  In  cutting  out  a  transit  line  I  undertook  to 
show  the  axeman  how  to  cut  a  sapling.  The  double-faced 
axe  was  new  to  me,  and  at  my  first  stroke  the  thing 
(flopped  over  and  cut  deep  into  my  instep,  sending  up  a 
veritable  fountain  of  blood.  Fortunately  I  was  able  to 
direct  the  stopping  of  the  flow  by  twisting  a  bandage,  and 
there  were  enough  men  to  carry  me  four  miles  through 
the  woods  to  the  wagon,  and  get  me  to  a  surgeon.  Near 
the  wagon  were  several  miners*  houses.  We  were  soon 
surrounded  by  Irish  women,  whose  sympathy  showed 
itself  in  a  loud  wailing  that  reminded  me  of  the  Corsican 
lamento  over  a  victim  of  the  vendetta. 

In  1871,  after  a  winter  devoted  to  lecturing  at  Harvard, 
I  returned  to  Lake  Superior  to  capitalize  the  experience 
I  had  gained  there. 

Mr.  Quincy  Shaw  and  Mr.  Alexander  Agassiz  agreed 
to  my  proposition  that  they  should  supply  the  money  to 
buy  lands,  and  that  I  should  have  the  right  to  buy. a  quar- 
ter interest  in  these  lands  at  cost.  The  purchases  were 
to  be  confined  to  lands  carrying  pine,  the  iron  formation, 
hardwood,  and  sandstone.  Hardwood  was  then  very 
valuable  for  furnaces  making  charcoal  iron,  and  the  Lake 
Superior  brown  sandstone  was  in  great  demand. 

My  wife  wanted  to  go  with  me,  and  I  felt  that  the  out- 
of-door  life  might  hasten  her  recovery  from  a  serious  ill- 
ness. So  as  soon  as  she  was  able  to  travel  we  went  to 
Marquette.  I  bought  a  bark  canoe  and  hired  a  large 
sailboat  and  skipper  and  two  Canadian  voyageurs,  one 


346  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

of  them,  Henri  Ledouceur,  with  his  educated  Indian 
wife,  Priscilla.  These,  with  two  tents,  supplies,  guns, 
fishing  tackle,  and  abundant  township  maps,  formed  the 
outfit. 

On  a  beautiful  summer  day  we  sailed  out  of  Marquette 
harbor.  As  far  as  Portage  Lake  the  south  shore  is 
formed  by  cliflFs  of  the  brown  sandstone,  some  of  which 
I  hoped  to  find  worth  taking.  Two  weeks  or  more  were 
spent  in  exploring  this  shore,  and  canoeing  up  the 
streams.     The  scenery  was  of  unending  charm. 

Sometime  in  October  we  reached  Bayfield  in  Wiscon- 
sin, where  there  was  a  U.  S.  land  office. 

A  sail  across  the  bay  brought  us  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Montreal  River.  It  was  my  intention  to  take  my  wife  to 
the  point  where  we  should  meet  Major  Brooks,  and  be- 
gin our  exploration,  and  to  leave  her  there  in  a  stationary 
camp  with  the  Indian  woman  Priscilla  and  her  husband; 
As  she  was  not  yet  strong  enough  to  make  the  journey 
through  the  woods  on  foot,  Indians  were  engaged  to  carry 
her  in  a  hammock  swung  on  a  pole. 

Around  their  campfire,  that  lighted  up  the  dark  re- 
cesses of  the  forest,  these  Indians  were  a  picturesque 
group.  Their  leader  wore  a  decorative  name.  We  liked 
the  sound  of  it  so  much  that  it  caused  him  more  than  his 
share  of  work.     It  was  Jin-go-ben-e-sic  —  War  Eagle. 

Henri  and  Priscilla  made  a  delightful  stationary  camp 
in  a  stately  forest  and  near  the  river.  In  a  large  tent, 
with  one  side  open  to  the  air,  they  made  a  thick,  soft 
bed  of  carefully  thatched  hemlock  boughs,  and  arranged 
all  the  possible  conveniences  for  a  prolonged  stay.  Their 
own  tent  was  put  up  close  by  the  large  one.  There  were 
abundant  provisions,  and  Henri  was  an  expert  in  getting 
game  and  trout.  As  both  Henri  and  Priscilla  were  de- 
votedly attached  to  my  wife,  I  felt  that  I  was  leaving 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  MY  EXPERIENCES      347 

her  under  health-bringing  and  happy  conditions,  for  she 
loved  the  primeval  forest  in  all  its  aspects. 

During  the  previous  winter  I  had  read  Whittlesey's 
account  of  the  occurrence  of  magnetic  ores  in  northern 
Wisconsin,  which  seemed  to  be  possibly  a  continuation  of 
the  formation  we  were  to  look  for  in  Michigan.  So  we 
had  agreed  that  Brooks  should  begin  on  the  Wisconsin 
side  and  try  to  trace  the  formation  to  our  meeting  point 
near  the  state  line. 

We  decided  first  to  try  to  trace  the  iron  formation 
through  to  Lake  Gogebic,  about  thirty  miles  distant,  and 
then  to  examine  it  more  carefully  on  the  way  back.  It 
took  us  more  than  two  weeks  to  trace  it  to  the  point 
where  we  lost  it  west  of  Lake  Gogebic.  What  we  saw 
was  very  discouraging.  There  really  was  a  continuous 
iron  formation  resting  on  quartzite,  and  this  on  granite, 
but  it  was  totally  unlike  any  that  we  had  seen.  By  the 
time  we  were  ready  to  return,  a  foot  of  snow  had  fallen, 
making  hopeless  any  further  examination. 

One  morning,  on  the  return  journey,  as  we  reached  the 
top  of  a  high  hill,  Jingobenesic  startled  me.  He  pointed 
to  the  southeast.  Far  away  above  the  forest  there  stood 
a  wall  of  dense  smoke.  It  rose  high  in  the  sky,  and 
stretched  along  many  degrees  of  the  horizon.  It  clearly 
meant  an  overwhelming  conflagration  —  one  that  threat- 
ened destruction  to  everything  in  its  course.  We  could 
not  judge  of  its  distance,  but  I  thought  of  my  dear  wife 
in  the  heart  of  that  vast  forest,  and  twenty  miles  from 
the  lake  and  safety,  and  it  would  take  us  nearly  two  days 
to  reach  her  camp ! 

While  I  was  hurrying  forward  in  this  anxiety,  we 
met  a  messenger  bringing  a  telegram  and  letters.  He 
had  been  sent  on  from  the  stationary  camp,  and  brought 
news  of  the  great  forest  fire  in  Oconto  County,  Wiscon- 


348  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

sin,  that  was  destroying  whole  villages  and  their  inhab- 
itants. The  fact  that  it  was  more  than  200  miles  off 
and  to  leeward  relieved  my  anxiety.  Early  in  the  morn- 
ing, before  reaching  the  Montreal  River,  I  left  the  blazed 
trail,  and  climbed  a  high  hill  to  look  towards  the  wall  of 
smoke.  The  hill  was  on  the  quartzite  of  the  iron  forma- 
tion. It  commanded  a  grand  view  over  the  great  forest 
that,  extending  around  Lake  Superior,  stretched  away 
to  the  north,  to  gradually  dwindle  to  the  stunted  vegeta- 
tion of  the  Arctic  zone. 

I  sat  long  trying  to  solve  a  problem  of  duty.  I  had 
received  a  telegram  the  day  before  disapproving  my  large 
purchase  of  pine  land.  I  now  felt  that  I  should  be  criti- 
cized for  buying  a  large  amount  of  iron  land  of  which 
I  could  not  speak  with  more  confidence  than  I  could 
show  in  the  case  of  a  formation  so  different  from  any 
known  on  Lake  Superior. 

While  thus  thinking  I  noticed  numerous  yellow  stains 
of  limonite  in  the  rock.  What  is  luck?  Those  yellow 
spots !  They  determined  my  fortune.  I  knew  they  prob- 
ably had  no  important  significance,  but  there  was  a  re- 
mote possibility  that  they  meant  concentration  of  iron 
oxides  in  the  overlying  formation.  I  decided  to  take 
for  the  pool,  at  least  this  tract,  about  two  miles  long. 

I  found  the  stationary  camp  abandoned.  It  had  been 
left  at  least  two  days  or  more. 

We  followed  a  well-marked  trail  made  in  the  snow  by 
the  party  in  moving  towards  the  mouth  of  the  Montreal 
River.  It  was  after  midnight  when  we  reached  the  lake 
and  found  the  camp. 

In  the  bracing  air,  and  under  the  devoted  care  of  her 
attendants,  my  dear  wife  had  recovered  her  strength. 
Priscilla  had  enlivened  the  time  by  telling  Indian  legends 
and  tales  of  the  wars  between  her  people  and  the  Eski- 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  MY  EXPERIENCES      349 

mos,  for  she  came  from  the  North,  and  she  had  taught 
her  mistress  how  to  make  and  embroider  moccasins.  A 
hammock-stretcher  was  no  longer  needed;  in  spite  of  the 
snow,  the  trip  out  was  made  on  foot. 

At  Bayfield  I  found  a  letter  from  Agassiz  objecting 
strongly  to  the  purchase  of  iron  lands. 

We  took  passage  on  a  propellor  to  Marquette.  It  was 
the  last  trip  of  the  season,  and  the  boat  was  crowded 
with  quarry  men,  nearly  all  of  them  drunk. 

Soon  after  leaving  these  men  became  so  uncontrollable 
as  to  produce  a  serious  situation,  for  they  were  over- 
coming the  crew.  The  captain  got  out  the  hose  and  was 
beginning  to  play  it  on  them  when,  on  emerging  from 
among  the  Apostle  Islands,  we  came  into  a  choppy  sea. 
This  quickly  settled  matters  by  leaving  the  floors  covered 
with  very  unsettled  victims. 

At  the  land  office  in  Marquette  I  again  faced  the  prob- 
lem that  had  sorely  troubled  me  on  the  quartzite  ridge  in 
the  woods.  On  the  books  the  even  numbered  sections 
were  all  open  for  entry.  From  my  notes  I  could  cover 
all  the  iron  formation  along  twenty  miles  of  even  sections. 
Under  ordinary  circumstances  I  would,  without  hesita- 
tion, have  taken  the  risk.  However,  since  that  telegram 
about  pine  lands,  and  Agassiz's  letter,  seemed  to  show 
lack  of  confidence  in  my  judgment,  I  preferred  not  to  in- 
vest in  lands  on  an  iron  range  of  which  I  could  not  speak 
with  some  confidence.  As  I  shall  show,  I  missed  the  op- 
portunity of  a  lifetime.  I  was,  of  course,  debarred  from 
buying  with  my  own  money.  Still  I  bought,  on  the  joint 
account,  two  miles  of  the  range  adjoining  the  quartzite 
ridge.  Those  two  miles  now  form  the  Newport  and  Gen- 
eva mining  properties.  They  have  produced  till  now 
(19 15)  12,000,000  tons  of  ore. 

Two  or  three  years  later  a  miner  by  the  name  of 


350  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

Moore,  thrown  out  of  work  by  the  panic  of  1873,  was 
employed  in  looking  for  pine.  There  wasn't  any  pine 
land  in  the  region.  He  sat  down  to  smoke  and  curse  his 
luck  on  a  hill  several  miles  east  of  the  land  I  had  taken. 
At  his  side  rose  the  upturned  roots  of  a  great  tree  that 
had  been  felled  by  a  recent  storm.  Where  its  roots  had 
been  there  was  exposed  a  smooth  surface  of  black  rock. 
Lifting  a  piece,  Moore  found  it  very  heavy,  and,  being  a 
miner,  he  knew  it  was  not  ordinary  rock,  though  he  had 
never  seen  anything  like  it,  so  he  put  it  in  his  pocket  as 
a  curiosity.  An  assayer  found  that  it  was  a  very  pure 
bessemer  iron  ore.  Moore  raised  money  to  buy  the  tract, 
which  became  the  Colby  mine,  and  long  before  I  heard  of 
the  find  all  the  even  sections,  excepting  my  purchase,  were 
taken  up.  Thus  was  started  the  great  Gogebic  iron 
range.  Every  section  along  it  is  dotted  with  mines  which, 
together,  have  produced,  up  to  191 5,  over  eighty  million 
tons  of  bessemer  ore. 

In  the  autumn  of  187 1  I  was  offered  the  position  of 
State  Geologist  of  Missouri.  I  had  been  led  to  expect 
political  interference  from  the  Governor,  then  Gratz 
Brown,  and  from  the  Legislature.  Instead  of  this  I  had 
only  cordial  support. 

On  my  trips  I  found  the  farmers  always  hospitable  and 
generally,  too,  interested  in  the  survey.  They  had  one 
custom  I  had  not  seen  elsewhere.  There  was  almost  al- 
ways a  basket  of  turnips  at  hand,  from  which  you  were 
expected  to  take  at  least  one  and  eat  it  raw. 

On  my  trips  in  the  winters  I  suffered  far  more  from 
cold  than  anywhere  before  or  since.  I  remember  a 
Thanksgiving  dinner  at  a  hotel  in  Fredericksburg  where 
all  the  guests  seemed  to  think  it  quite  natural  to  have  no 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  MY  EXPERIENCES     351 

fire  in  a  room  in  which  the  mercury  stood  below  zero 
Fahrenheit. 

In  the  winter  of  1872-73  a  severe  enteric  disease  and 
an  attack  of  meningitis  so  affected  my  health  that  I  re- 
signed and  removed  to  Balmville,  four  miles  north  of 
Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  to  prepare  the  results  of  the  survey 
for  the  volume  that  appeared  in  1873. 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

WRITING,  RESEARCH,  AND  FARMING. 
CENSUS  OF  MINERAL  RESOURCES 

I  NOW  Spent  several  pleasant  years  in  writing  and  re- 
search work.  After  completing  my  report  of  the  Mis- 
souri Geological  Survey,  I  made  a  special  study  of  the 
relation  of  the  native  copper  in  the  trap  rocks  of  northern 
Michigan  to  the  other  minerals  in  those  rocks.  For  much 
of  this  work  I  had  to  cut  from  rocks,  for  study  under 
the  microscope,  sections  thinner  than  the  thinnest  tissue 
paper. 

I  reviewed  many  scientific  works,  among  them  Richt- 
hofen's  China.  In  this  work  the  author  clearly  proved 
that  the  fine  self-fertilizing  soil  of  northern  China,  of 
which  I  have  written  in  a  previous  chapter,  is  a  wind- 
borne  soil.  I  had  supposed  it  to  be  a  soil  deposited  by 
water.  But  his  demonstration  that  it  was  wind-borne 
was  convincing. 

Near  Owego,  my  birthplace,  whither  we  had  moved  in 
1876,  a  short  time  before  the  death  of  my  dear  father, 
I  tried  my  hand  at  farming.  This  was  against  my  wife's 
advice,  and  she  was  right,  as  usual.  I  sold  land  and 
stock,  when,  after  a  number  of  set-backs,  I  found  that 
our  "  honest "  farm  manager  owned  a  farm  nearby  and 
carted  thither  all  the  manure  from  ours. 

In  1879  the  government  decided  to  turn  the  census  of 
mineral  industries  over  to  the  Geological  Survey,  and  I 

352 


WRITING,  RESEARCH  AND  FARMING     353 

was  asked  to  take  charge  of  this  department,  exclusive 
of  the  precious  metals  and  mineral  oils. 

I  got  permission  to  have  my  place  of  official  residence 
and  offices  at  Newport. 

Having  a  free  hand,  I  decided  to  lay  special  emphasis 
on  the  iron  ores  as  underlying  the  fundamental  industry 
of  civilization.  The  census  of  the  other  minerals  could 
be  confined  largely  to  the  usual  statistical  methods.  My 
plan  was  to  have  every  mine  and  every  known  outcrop 
of  iron  ore,  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  examined  geologically,  and 
systematically  sampled  for  chemical  analysis. 

Within  two  months  the  whole  organization  —  per- 
sonnel, instrumental  equipment,  and  the  methods,  down 
to  the  special  notebooks  —  was  in  order,  and  the  assist- 
ants in  the  field.  During  two  years  there  poured  in  a 
steady  stream  of  iron  ore  samples  in  groups  of  five-pound 
bags,  each  one  accompanied  by  description  and  geological 
diagrams  of  the  occurrence.  And  they  all  came  by  mail 
under  government  penalty  label  for  postage,  causing  much 
of  whom,  supposing  them  to  be  precious  metals,  kept 
them  guarded  over  night.^ 

The  report,  including  an  exhaustive  discussion  of  the 
iron  ore  resources  of  the  country,  with  about  i,ooo  pages 
and  102  plates,  made  up  the  fifteenth  volume  of  the  Tenth 
Census. 

The  assistants  in  the  field  told  many  humorous  ac- 
counts of  the  customs  among  the  primitive  people  of  the 
mountains  of  the  South.  After  supper  at  one  house 
Bailey  Willis  sat  with  the  family  smoking  and  talking 
consternation  to  the  postmasters  of  country  offices,  some 

1  Professor  Charles  Sargent,  who  had  charge  of  the  Forestry 
Census,  even  sent  as  mail  "matter  a  section  of  a  California  big 
tree  long  enough  to  require  two  flat  cars. 


354  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

before  a  large  fire.  There  was  only  one  room,  and  no 
beds.  Willis  wondered  where  they  slept.  There  were 
several  big  logs  standing  against  the  wall.  At  last  the 
host  knocked  the  ashes  from  his  pipe.  He  took  down  the 
logs.    They  were  hollow,  and  were  the  beds. 

On  one  of  my  trips  with  one  of  the  assistants  we 
passed  a  stormy  night  in  a  miner's  house  in  the  Virginia 
mountains.  We  ate  supper  in  a  room  where  five  boys 
and  girls  down  with  measles  lay  across  one  bed,  and  an- 
other lay  in  a  cradle  that  was  too  short.  There  were 
present  also  several  miners. 

In  order  to  keep  the  size  of  this  book  within  desirable 
limits,  it  will  be  necessary  to  omit  accounts  of  many  to  me 
interesting  experiences  between  1881  and  19 15.  These 
may  be  read  in  my  Reminiscences  (pubHshed  in  1918)  by 
those  who  care  to  know  more  of  my  life  story. 

Included  in  those  ye.ars  were:  occurrences  connected 
with  the  organization  and  direction  of  the  Northern  trans- 
continental survey  of  a  route  for  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  which  would  give  readiest  access  to  the  natural 
resources,  especially  coal,  of  the  regions  to  be  served  by 
the  road;  adventurous  journeys  to  examine  mines  in  the 
Sierra  Madre  mountains  of  Mexico ;  home  Hf e  under  de- 
lightful circumstances  at  Dublin,  New  Hampshire,  and 
at  Roseland  in  southwestern  Georgia;  trips  with  my 
family  to  Europe  and  northern  Africa;  and,  especially, 
two  seasons  of  exploration  and,  excavation  for  the  pur- 
pose of  studying  the  prehistoric  life  of  man  in  Russian 
Turkestan. 

It  seems  to  me  almost  like  deserting  my  own  children 
not  to  tell  the  story  of  these  and  of  other  events  of  my  life 
here;  but  publishers  are  inexorable  with  writers  in  mat- 
ters of  space,  and  this  no  doubt  because  the  reading  public 


WRITING,  RESEARCH  AND  FARMING     355 

is  inexorable  with  publishers  as  to  the  size  of  books  in- 
tended especially  for  the  general  public  or  for  juvenile 
readers.  With  this  explanation  to  the  reader  and  apology 
to  my  own  sentiments,  we  will  proceed  to  the  next  and 
last  chapter.  Therein  will  be  told  the  story  of  a  visit  to 
the  desert  region  where,  as  a  young  man,  I  experienced 
my  most  thrilling  adventures. 


CHAPTER  L 

AFTER  MANY  YEARS 

A  Visit,  not  without  Adventure,  to  the  Scene  of 
My  Most  Theilling  Adventures 

Early  in  March,  191 5,  with  my  children,  I  was  on  my 
way  to  Arizona.  In  the  shadow  of  loss  of  my  wife  and 
mother,  we  sought  the  healing  influence  of  the  desert. 

For  my  children  this  journey  was  a  pilgrimage  to  the 
scenes  of  my  early  adventures.  We  left  the  train  at 
Tucson  to  prepare  for  the  desert. 

When  I  had  last  touched  the  ground  at  Tucson  in  i860 
there  was  only  a  cluster  of  mud  huts,  and  a  population 
which  though  not  virtuous  was  happy,  for  it  was  far 
from  vigilance  committees,  sheriffs,  ropes,  and  wristlets. 
The  owner  of  the  one  eating  place  greeted  the  hungry,  one 
hand  holding  a  revolver,  the  other  outstretched  and  ex- 
pectant. 

Now,  after  half  a  century,  Tucson  was  a  flourishing 
city  with  fine  streets,  luxurious  hotels  and  plate-glass- 
windowed  department  stores.  I  was  a  dazed  Rip  van 
Winkle.  Was  it  only  last  night  that  I  had  slept  on  an 
earthen  floor  to  wake  up  at  the  sound  of  shots  and  find 
myself  among  a  lot  of  players  who  were  dodging  the 
bullets  of  two  gentlemen,  each  casting  aspersions  on  the 
other's  moral  character,  and  on  the  virtue  of  the  other's 
mother  ? 

This  vision  was  still  before  me  when  I  registered  at 

356 


AFTER  MANY  YEARS  357 

the  hotel.  A  reporter  who  had  seen  me  enter  my  name 
hailed  me  as  the  pioneer  of  Arizona.  From  that  mo- 
ment I  found  myself  to  be  the  sole  depository  of  history 
of  Arizona  before  the  Civil  War  —  the  legendary,  heroic 
period.  Among  the  interesting  men  we  met  was  Captain 
Burgess,  a  -fine  specimen  of  the  old-time  ranger  and 
scout  type,  who  wore  his  long  hair  in  a  knot  on  the  back 
of  his  head.  He  had  scouted  with  Kit  Carson  and 
Buffalo  Bill,  and  enjoyed  the  occasional  removal  of  one 
of  the  many  bullets  that  enriched  his  body. 

Before  starting  on  our  proposed  desert  trip  we  made 
an  excursion  of  several  days  to  the  Santa  Rita  mines  — 
where  I  had  passed  tragic  months. 

It  was  early  March,  with  delightfully  warm  days  and 
cool  nights,  and  an  air  so  clear  that  distant  mountains 
were  deceptively  near  at  hand.  A  gravelly  arid  plain 
spread  out  for  many  miles  in  all  directions,  its  monotony 
relieved  only  by  clumps  of  sagebrush  and  here  and  there 
an  ocotillo  tree  —  always  a  picturesque  group  of  tall 
stems  diverging  from  a  common  root  —  and  straight 
ahead  the  great  massif  of  the  Santa  Rita  peaks.  It  was 
a  region  for  travel  in  the  saddle  and  with  pack  mules, 
not  for  motor  cars.  With  me  were  my  three  children, 
Raphael  and  his  wife  Amelie,  Margarita,  and  Elise,  who, 
although  mothers,  will  appear  herein  collectively  as  *'  the 
girls."  As  it  was  to  be  a  rough  camping  expedition,  we 
carried  only  blankets  and  food,  water  and  gasoline. 
Each  had  a  roll  of  blankets  stored  on  the  engine  hood. 
The  food  was  bacon,  cheese,  bread,  marmalade,  canned 
beans,  tea,  and  sugar.  And  there  was  a  frying  pan, 
wooden  plates  to  be  burned,  and  cups.  There  may  have 
been  also  a  knife  and  teaspoons,  but  we  may  have  eaten 
with  our  fingers. 

Instead  of  tents  I  took  twelve  yards  of  extra  wide  and 


358  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

heavy  canvas  to  pull  over  all  of  us  in  case  of  rain,  for  we 
were  to  sleep  on  the  ground. 

In  the  afternoon,  as  we  came  near  the  influence  of  the 
mountain,  the  country  became  uneven,  dry  watercourses 
appeared,  the  surface  bore  grasses  of  the  semiarid  region, 
and  cattle  betokened  the  presence  of  ranches.  We 
camped  near  the  site  of  Fort  Buchanan. 

Scarcely  a  trace  remains  of  the  fort  nor  of  its  suc- 
cessor. Camp  Crittenden.  Looking  at  the  site  I  remem- 
bered the  mingled  feelings  with  which  I  last  left  it,  and 
our  easy  conscience  in  stealing  the  Colonel's  pointer  in 
revenge,  and  how  well  the  dog  justified  the  theft. 

A  long  drive  along  the  Sonoita,  and  then  a  long  ascent 
among  diabolically  weird  rock  forms,  brought  us  at 
about  4,500  feet  into  the  zone  of  live-oaks  and  mesquite 
acacias.  Here,  too,  charming  small  cacti  nestled  among 
the  bare  rocks,  and  the  yucca,  the  amole  —  good  substi- 
tute for  soap  —  the  Spanish  bayonet  and  century  plant. 
Those  yuccas!  On  lonely  night  rides  along  this  same 
route  my  imagination  had  seen  in  their  dark  bodies  and 
tall  stems  possible  lance-bearing  Apaches. 

We  were  now  on  the  Santa  Rita  property.  It  was  be- 
yond recognition.  In  my  time  live-oak  and  mesquite 
trees  gave  the  rolling  country  the  appearance  of  a  vast 
orchard  of  old  apple  trees,  and  the  surface  was  covered 
with  the  semi-arid  grasses  and  small  cacti.  Now  all  was 
bare.  The  trees  had  been  cut  off;  cloudbursts  had 
stripped  the  surface. 

In  a  solitary  adobe  hut  lived  a  Mexican  with  a  pic- 
turesque family.  He  tried  to  show  the  old  hacienda. 
There  were  ruins  of  houses,  much  later  than  my  time ; 
but  my  furnace  was  standing  as  part  of  the  wall  of  one 
of  these,  and  the  girls  took  as  mementos  pieces  of  the 
slag  that  lay  near. 


AFTER  MANY  YEARS  359 

In  spite  of  the  general  desolation  the  grander  features 
of  the  scenery  remained.  On  the  north  the  great  moun- 
tain stood  unchanged,  its  structural  lines  all  leading  up  to 
where  at  nearly  10,000  feet  rose  the  ice-crowned  peak. 
On  the  south,  above  a  steep  ascent,  were  the  long  cliffs 
that  Grosvenor  loved  to  sketch,  and  far  in  the  west  the 
peak  of  Baboquivari. 

The  Mexican  found  for  us  the  grave  of  Grosvenor  in 
a  dense  growth  of  brush.  I  had  marked  the  spot  with  a 
stone  cut  from  a  white  volcanic  tufa  and  had  carved  on 
it  a  brief  inscription.  On  the  stone  we  now  found  the 
legend  was  so  well  chiselled  that  I  could  not  be  sure  that 
it  had  not  replaced  mine. 

I  knew  now  that  the  curtain  was  again  rising  on  the 
dark  drama  of  1861,  and  that  day  by  day  memory  would 
reenact  tragedies  of  those  days.  In  the  first  of  these 
Grosvenor  had  been  the  victim.  In  every  sense  a  man, 
and  lovable,  his  career  had  ended  far  from  wife  and 
children.  Mine  was  then  beginning,  and  with  it  im- 
portant phases  of  education.  For  one  the  still  standing 
fragment  of  my  adobe  furnace  symbolized  the  end  of  a 
struggle  to  use  European  methods  in  metallurgy  in  Ari- 
zona, and  the  necessity  of  building  anew  on  a  founda- 
tion of  chemistry  in  theory,  and  adapting  in  practice 
methods  of  Pliny,  Agricola,  and  Mexico. 

Another  phase  was  the  life  among  the  most  varied  ele- 
ments of  a  society  living  without  the  restraint  of  any 
semblance  of  constituted  authority,  a  condition  that  had 
made  possible  the  murder  of  my  two  predecessors  and 
two  successors. 

We  did  not  succeed  in  finding  the  exact  spot  where 
Grosvenor  was  killed  —  so  great  a  change  had  come  over 
the  surface  through  cloudbursts  burying  the  old  road 
and  destroying  vegetation.     The  Mexican  who  showed 


360  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

us  around  the  region  was  killed  by  lightning  a  few  days 
after  we  left. 

On  the  way  back  to  Tucson  my  left  foot  gave  me  some 
trouble  in  walking  for  exercise,  and  in  undressing  about 
midnight  I  found  one  of  my  toes  wholly  black  —  so  black 
that  I  called  for  a  doctor.  He  said  it  was  gangrene  and 
the  toe  must  be  cut  oflf  at  once. 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  I  answered.     "  I'll  wait  and  see." 

"  It  is  surely  gangrene,  senile  gangrene,"  he  insisted. 
"  You  shouldn't  wait.  There  was  a  man  who  came  here 
last  year  from  Seattle  with  just  such  a  toe.  He  waited 
before  letting  me  take  it  off,  and  then  it  was  too  late, 
and  I  had  to  amputate  at  the  ankle  and  again  below  the 
hip.     I'll  come  before  ten  to-morrow." 

I  went  to  bed.  "  At  my  age  a  toe  more  or  less  won't 
make  much  difference,"  I  thought,  and  slept  soundly. 
When  in  the  morning  I  told  the  children,  they  went  to 
Captain  Burgess.  He  gave  the  names  of  doctors  to  con- 
sult, but  none  of  them  would  meet  with  mine.  On  the 
way  back  they  met  and  told  our  head  chauffeur. 

He  laughed  and  explained :  "  I  saw  Mr.  Pumpelly 
drop  a  big  rock  yesterday  morning.  Judging  by  his  lan- 
guage it  must  have  hurt  a  lot ! " 

When  they  told  me  this,  I  remembered  that  I  had  tried 
to  place  stepping  stones  across  a  brook  near  the  camp. 
Standing  with  my  left  foot  on  the  low  bank  and  with 
the  right  one  on  a  wobbly  stone  behind,  I  had  dropped  a 
large  round  stone,  and  at  the  same  instant  my  right  foot 
had  slipped  into  the  icy  cold  water.  Hence  the  "  lan- 
guage." The  cold  water  had  made  me  forget  the  little 
incident  of  the  impact  of  the  stone. 

When  the  doctor  came  prepared  to  operate,  I  dismissed 
him  with  his  fee  for  the  night  call.  The  next  day  the  toe 
was  as  good  as  ever. 


AFTER  MANY  YEARS  361 

In  planning  the  journey  I  had  intended  to  find  some- 
where in  the  high  mountains  a  grassy  watered  valley  with 
an  outlook  far  over  the  desert,  but  we  had  come  too 
early  in  the  season.  As  an  alternative  we  decided  to 
strike  out  boldly  to  a  point  about  loo  miles  distant  on  the 
Mexican  border  where  we  should  reach  the  **  Old  Yuma 
Trail "  on  which  Poston  and  I  had  escaped  from  Arizona. 
We  would  follow  this  for  about  150  miles  to  Yuma.  It 
seemed  a  simple  thing  to  do  with  three  Ford  cars  and 
three  drivers.  With  the  chauffeurs  we  made  a  party  of 
eight.  fe;^'r?nrott  i^t>mtf 

Our  blankets  were  in  canvas  rolls  and  lashed  to  the 
automobile  hoods.  Tins  of  gasoline,  boxes  of  food,  and 
cooking  utensils  were  strapped  to  the  running  boards  and 
canvas  bags  of  water  hung  on  the  sides  of  the  cars. 

The  first  day  out  our  head  chauflfeur  gave  part  of  our 
gasoline  to  a  man  in  need  thereof  who  said  we  could 
replenish  at  Indian  Oases. 

Our  first  camp  was  among  sahuaras  by  a  clear  brook 
rushing  down  from  the  high  gorges  of  Baboquivari  — 
the  only  running  water  we  were  to  see  during  the  desert 
journey. 

MacDonald,  the  head  chauffeur,  a  Scotchman  born  in 
New  England,  had  a  fund  of  humor.  I  believe  I  have 
abstained  from  telling  any  one  else's  stories,  but  he  had 
one  that  I  can't  help  repeating.  On  a  ship  nearing  the 
equator  there  was  an  Irishman  who  was  anxious  to  see 
the  "  line  "  he  had  heard  of.  Next  day  the  mate  stretched 
a  hair  from  his  own  head  across  the  lense  of  a  telescope 
and  calling  the  Irishman  said :  "  Now  look  quick  and 
you'll  see  the  line."     The  victim  took  a  look. 

"  Well,  do  you  see  the  line  ?  " 

'*  Yes,  and  begorrah  there's  a  camel  walking  on  it." 

Naturally    there    was    no    gasoline   at    Indian    Oases. 


36^  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

"  We  would  have  to  go  to  A  jo,"  which  meant  at  least  a 
three  days'  detour.  In  our  disappointment  we  did  not 
realize  that  gift  of  gasoline  was  to  bring  luck. 

I  had  heard  Poston  tell  of  his  discovery  of  a  mountain 
of  copper  ore  in  the  Ajo  range  in  the  fifties.  I  knew  that 
much  later  a  herd  of  camels  had  been  brought  from 
Arabia  to  bring  water  there,  probably  from  the  forty 
miles  distant  Gila  River,  and  that  the  only  result  was  the 
failure  of  the  enterprise  and  the  present  behef  in  the 
occasional  appearance  of  a  lone  camel  in  the  desert  soli- 
tudes. 

On  the  way  thither  we  camped  one  night  on  a  sheep 
ranch  where  a  large  tank  was  full  of  water  from  a  deep- 
drilled  well.  The  water  contained  great  numbers  of  the 
larvae  of  both  the  malarial  Anopheles  mosquito  and  the 
innocent  variety. 

At  last  we  looked  down  on  Ajo.  Capital  and  engineer- 
ing were  here  preparing  to  create  wealth  in  the  waterless 
waste ;  wells  hundreds  of  feet  deep  had  tapped  reservoirs. 
We  had  a  cordial  welcome  from  Mr.  Curley,  the  manager 
of  the  New  Cornelia  Mining  Company.  But  there  was 
no  gasoline,  only  a  chance  that  some  might  soon  arrive. 
It  did  arrive  before  night.  Both  detour  and  delay  at  Ajo 
were  doubly  lucky,  for  I  learned  that  for  the  rest  of  the 
trip  a  guide  would  be  absolutely  necessary.  With  much 
difficulty  I  engaged  the  only  Indian  who  had  seen  the 
Tinajas  Alias  on  the  Old  Yuma  Trail.  These  mountain 
potholes  must  be  reached  and  water  found  in  them  with- 
out delay  in  trying  to  find  them.  Tomaso  was  eighty- 
five,  and  his  knowledge  dated  from  forty  years  back.  It 
became  evident  later  that  the  difficulty  with  Tomaso  was 
that  he  was  torn  between  the  call  of  the  desert  and  the 
risk   of  braving  its   dangers   with   eight   **  tenderf eet." 


AFTER  MANY  YEARS  363 

Three  dollars  a  day  and  a  promise  to  return  him  to  his 
home  carried  the  day. 

The  other  piece  of  luck  —  less  romantic  —  was  that  the 
delay  enabled  me  to  see  the  property,  and  this  led  me  to 
telegraph,  later  from  Yuma,  to  buy  a  block  of  stock  in 
the  Company  which  I  soon  sold  for  more  than  enough  to 
pay  twice  for  the  whole  expedition. 

The  next  day  out  from  Ajo  we  came  to  an  abandoned 
deep  well  where  we  were  to  fill  our  canvas  bags  with 
water.  Now  it  seems  that  new  sacks  hold  water  properly 
only  after  soaking  for  two  or  more  days.  As  ours  had 
been  filled  less  than  a  day  they  were  fast  emptying.  It 
seems  also  that  after  hard  work  in  raising  a  gallon  or  two 
out  of  the  well  the  chauffeurs  decided  that  the  water  was 
bad,  and  that  anyway  the  supply  in  the  bags  would  last  to 
the  next  water.     They  little  knew  the  real  desert. 

After  we  had  passed  a  party  returning  from  hunting 
wild  sheep  near  the  Gulf  of  California,  two  of  their 
guides  galloped  to  overtake  us.  When  they  heard  we 
were  going  to  Yuma  they  said  it  would  be  impossible  for 
us  to  make  the  journey  in  automobiles.  It  had  never  been 
done  and  to  fail  would  be  extremely  dangerous;  but 
since  they  thought  we  would,  that  year,  find  water  at  the 
Tina j as  Altos  we  went  on.  We  heard  later  that  the 
hunters  on  their  return  to  Ajo  wired  to  Yuma  to  send  out 
a  party  to  rescue  us. 

Before  long  worse  things  began  to  happen.  We  had 
come  to  a  region  where  cloudbursts  had  cut  broad  shallow 
channels  in  the  sand  plain.  They  varied  from  a  few 
yards  to  several  rods  in  width,  with  banks  a  few  inches 
to  a  foot  or  more  high.  The  first  of  these  was  very  low, 
but  it  took  a  long  time  and  hard  work  to  get  one  machine 
after  another  over  the  banks  with  the  aid  of  the  engines 


364.  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

and  with  all  hands  pushing.  The  water  was  low  in  the 
radiators  and  in  the  sacks.  The  dry  air  was  hot  and  nine 
throats  were  thirsty.  Tomaso  examined  the  water  supply 
and  looked  anxious.  Then  we  came  into  a  channel  with 
higher  banks,  where  we  stalled.  No  amount  of  effort 
availed.  Tomaso  said  we  must  not  drink  water.  He 
had  already  refused  it  for  himself. 

There  was  clearly  an  element  of  real  danger  in  our 
situation.  An  examination  showed  that  many  similar  ob- 
structions lay  before  us.  Our  sacks  were  losing  water; 
so,  too,  were  three  radiators.  Unless  we  could  find  some 
way  to  avoid  this  stalling  we  should  die  of  thirst,  for  on 
the  dry  desert  one  cannot  live  two  days  without  water, 
nor  could  the  automobiles. 

Fortunately  I  remembered  having  brought  twelve  yards 
of  wide  canvas  to  pull  over  us  at  night  if  it  should  rain. 
This  we  stretched  so  that  the  bank  was  under  the  middle. 
Then  with  one  man  driving  and  the  others  pushing  we 
triumphed.  As  there  had  been  no  rain  that  canvas  would 
probably  have  been  left  by  the  way  if  the  drivers,  being 
afraid  of  skunks,  hadn't  slung  it,  like  a  boat,  between  two 
cars  to  sleep  in.  By  its  aid  we  got  over  the  bad  tract  and 
before  dark  came  on  to  the  smooth  hard  floor  of  a  playa. 
Here  in  1861  a  cloudburst  had  saved  the  Hves  of  my 
party.     We  were  now  on  the  Old  Yuma  Trail. 

It  was  probably  on  the  bad  stretch  just  described  that, 
shortly  after  our  experience,  three  men  tried  to  cross  the 
desert  in  an  automobile.  Two  of  them  died,  and  one  was 
strong  enough  to  reach  a  point  where  he  was  rescued  in 
an  exhausted  condition. 

We  felt  that  we  were  now  out  of  danger.  We  were  on 
the  trail  and  only  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  Tule  well. 

The  next  night  we  camped  at  the  abandoned  Tule 
well.     Its  water  was  both  brackish  and  offensive,  but  on 


AFTER  MANY  YEARS  365 

the  desert  one  may  not  be  squeamish.  Several  months 
later  a  friend  who  had  been  over  that  route  on  a  survey 
asked : 

"  How  did  you  like  the  Tule  well  water?  " 

*'  Not  much,"  I  answered. 

*'  Naturally/'  he  said,  "  for  we  found  and  left  a  man 
in  it  two  years  ago." 

From  there  to  the  Tina j as  Alias  we  passed  between 
granite  mountains  that  were  disintegrating  into  the  weird- 
est of  desert  rock  forms  often  deeply  honeycombed  by 
sand  blasting. 

The  Tinajas  Alias  (high  tanks)  are  a  series  of  holes 
one  above  the  other  on  the  side  of  a  bare  granite  moun- 
tain. They  seem  to  lie  in  a  crack  rather  than  in  a  ravine, 
and  the  ascent  from  one  to  the  other  is  a  dangerous  climb 
up  a  precipice.  My  son  found  eight  or  nine  of  these 
holes  full  of  water,  for  during  the  last  two  years  there 
had  been  many  cloudbursts  on  the  mountains,  and  unusual 
rains  over  all  Arizona.  Ordinarily  the  holes  are  dry  un- 
less there  has  occurred  a  cloudburst  within  a  few  weeks. 
In  1861  they  stood  half-way  in  a  waterless  stretch  of  a 
hundred  miles  or  more,  and  to  find  them  empty  meant  al- 
most certain  death  to  man  and  beast.  This  was  the 
chance  Poston  and  I  had  to  face,  and  we  were  saved  by  a 
downpour  on  the  playa. 

It  is  a  matter  of  history  that  more  than  two  thousand 
persons  have  died  of  thirst  and  exhaustion  on  this  part 
of  the  "  Old  Yuma  Trail."  I  remembered  now,  too  well, 
tales  about  these  potholes  to  dare  to  peer  towards  the 
bottom;  the  surface  swarmed  with  larvse  of  mosquitoes, 
malarial  and  others. 

The  lapse  of  half  a  century  had  wrought  a  great 
change.  I  had  seen  on  the  trail  along  the  base  of  the 
Tinaji  range,  near  the  potholes,  great  numbers  of  dried 


366  RAPHAEL  PUMPELLY 

carcases  of  cattle  and  horses  that  had  died  there  of 
thirst,  on  their  way  to  California,  when  gold  was  abun- 
dant and  meat  almost  unobtainable.  Of  these  there 
was  now  no  sign.  They  had  been  buried  under  debris 
washed  by  cloudbursts  down  from  the  ever-crumbling 
mountains. 

Only  Raphael  succeeded  in  reaching  the  upper  holes, 
where  at  the  top  he  took  a  panoramic  photograph.  There, 
too,  he  found  the  sun-cracked  horns  of  the  bighorn. 

Although  it  was  early  in  March  the  mercury  stood  at 
over  100°  F.  In  September,  1861,  it  marked  126°  in  the 
shade. 

In  1861  our  trail  ran  thirty  miles  on  the  east  side  of 
the  mountains  to  the  Gila  River,  but  the  later  discovery 
of  a  gold  mine,  supplied  by  water  from  the  high  moun- 
tain, made  possible  a  route  on  the  west  side.  Without 
this  watering  place  we  could  not  have  got  through  to  the 
Gila,  so  fast  did  our  supply  vanish  and  thirst  increase. 
One  car  gave  out  and  had  to  be  left  with  its  driver  to 
make  repair. 

At  last  we  reached  Yuma.  And  now  there  was  a  real 
city  on  the  very  spot  where  Poston's  ready  wit  had  led 
him  to  survey  an  imaginary  city  in  order  to  pay  the 
ferryman  in  corner  lots.  We  drove  through  good  streets, 
where  the  goods  behind  big  plate-glass  windows  betok- 
ened families  of  rich  farmers. 

In  the  old  days  this  region  was  the  land  of  the  Yumas, 
a  particularly  savage  tribe  armed  with  war  clubs  and 
bitter  enemies  of  both  Papagoes  and  Apaches.  Many 
of  them  swaggered  along  the  streets  and  showed  unwel- 
come interest  in  Tomaso,  who  was  anxious  because  he 
was  off  his  tribal  ground.  So  we  planned  to  protect  him 
till  he  should  take  the  train  to  go  home. 

We  made  a  sorry  looking  procession  into  a  large  and 


AFTER  MANY  YEARS  367 

comfortable  hotel.  The  sun  had  burned  the  skin  off  the 
back  of  my  hands.  The  girls  hid,  behind  thick  veils,  lips 
swollen  to  exceed  in  size  those  of  a  Congo  Venus. 

That  night  Raphael  and  Amelie  started  homeward,  tak- 
ing Tomaso  as  far  as  Gila  Bend,  whence  he  could  reach 
Ajo  by  stage.  The  old  man,  with  his  money  well  stored 
out  of  sight,  left  us  with  a  more  smiling  face  than  one 
often  sees  on  an  Indian.  He  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the 
old  time  agricultural  Pimas. 

The  next  day  we,  my  two  girls  and  I,  started  for 
Phoenix  on  the  way  to  Globe  where  I  wanted  to  see  the 
Miami  mine,  not  so  much  on  account  of  my  interest  in 
the  mine  as  an  excuse  to  see  the  country  and  the  Roosevelt 
dam. 

In  order  to  cross  the  Gila  River  we  went  up  it  to  Dome, 
passing,  on  the  way,  through  the  spot  where,  in  the  old 
time,  Poston  and  I  and  the  rest  of  the  party  weathered 
through  an  all-night  sandstorm  that,  in  pitch  darkness, 
threatened  to  bury  us. 

A  rickety  ferry  boat  managed  to  get  us  and  the  cars  to 
the  opposite  bank. 

We  had  left  the  golden  desert,  its  painted  mountains,  its 
mysteries  and  dangers,  but  we  already  felt  the  call  to 
return,  and  if  we  had  still  had  Tomaso  with  us  we  could 
hardly  have  resisted  the  temptation. 


